Comfortably Numb
by Mallowkun
Summary: In a moment of sudden clarity, Jin realizes he must do something to save Sayori from herself. What follows is a series of events that will bring comfort and relief to everyone in the literature club.
1. The Do-Over

"I trust you…"

Sayori whispered into Jin's ear. The two of them slowly released each other from their embraces and stared into each other's' eyes a little longer. Jin's thoughts began to race. Something didn't seem right to him either. It was as if something was nagging at his brain that shouldn't be there. Like some external force was feeding him information of utmost importance. A strange sense of déjà vu overcame him.

He spoke to himself in his mind, "Things won't be okay…there's got to be more I can do for Sayori than this…I have to prove my trust somehow." Jin hung his head and looked down at the pavement, biting his lip and stuffing his hands nervously in his pocket.

"Jin? Is everything okay?" Sayori asked through her tears.

"Sayori…I'm concerned about something. Very concerned…the state you're in is not one I can just leave you in right now. I can't leave you alone with your own mind like this." Jin put his hands behind his head and stretched back letting out a long breath of exasperation. "I'm staying with you for the night. We can stay at your place if that's more comfortable for you."

Sayori's eyes widen as more tears fill them. Her chin quivers and she tries to stammer out something in response "…Y-you…don't have to…do that…I'll be f-fine…on my own…"

Jin gently grasped Sayori's hand in his own, lifting her face and wiping a tear from her cheek, "I know, but I want to for your sake." He quickly glanced at his watch noticing that he had been making banners with Yuri for much longer than he thought. "It's almost dinner time. Let's go back to your place and get something to eat."

Sayori wiped her face with her forearm, sniffles and nods. Hand in hand the two of them walked back to Sayori's house. Sayori unlocked the front door awkwardly, fumbling the house keys in her hands.

"Is there anything in particular that would make you feel better right now?" Jin asked Sayori.

"Well, there's some macaroni and cheese in the pantry…there's enough for the two of us." Sayori says, her crying subsiding. She helped Jin through the pantry, pointing out two boxes of mac and cheese. Placing a pot on the stove, Jin began heating water for the noodles and set an alarm.

"Why don't we go upstairs and talk? I'll keep the door open so I can hear the alarm." Sayori nods and the two of them walked upstairs to her room. Jin opened the door and let Sayori in first. She sat down on the edge of her bed and Jin took a seat on the floor next to her.

It was the same messy room he had been in that morning. Clothes strewn about, a cluttered desk with papers and homework laying unorganized, and the same giant cow plush at the foot of the bed. "You don't have to sit on the floor if you don't want," Sayori says, patting the bed next to her and cracking a faint smile. Jin got up and sat next to her. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Jin's thoughts began to race again, thinking of how to arrange his next words.

"Sayori…the other day, when you were feeling down and left early, what did Monika talk to you about?" Jin's heart began to race. He had a very keen idea of what Sayori was going to answer him, judging by what she tried to stammer out earlier.

Sayori quickly looked at Jin with an expression of despair and fear. "M-Monika? She…she…"

Sayori burst into tears, hanging her head in her hands as the tears began to stream through the spaces between her fingers. Jin scooted closer to her and placed an arm around her shoulder, quietly trying to reassure her. Sayori lifted her head, face red and soaked with her own tears. "She said I shouldn't exist! That I'd be better off dead! She says then I wouldn't be sad anymore!"

Sayori continued to sob before adding "But…I know that's not true…if I die, that's the end! I can't be happy like that! There has to be another way!" She turned to Jin and grasped his shoulders as tightly as her tiny, shaky hands could, struggling to say her next words.

"A-and…yet, I was about to do it…until…" She trailed off. Jin noticed something out of the corner of his eye that caused his heart to nearly jump into his throat. A frayed rope tail stuck out from underneath Sayori's bed. He began to cry as well, hugging Sayori tightly.

"Sayori, I'm so thankful…" he said, choking on his words. "I'm so thankful I came over…this is exactly what I was afraid of…"

The two of them held each other tightly for several minutes before releasing each other once again when the alarm downstairs went off.

Jin stood up and sniffled, "I'll be right back. I can bring it up if you like." He walked out of the room expecting to walk downstairs on his own, but Sayori followed him close behind.

Jin finished preparing dinner for the two of them, and they sat down at the table to eat. He could barely think straight to himself, nearly tunnel-visioning as he slowly scooped mac and cheese into his mouth.

Sayori grabbed Jin's free hand with hers. "Jin, you didn't have to waste your time by doing this…the festival is tomorrow, don't you have things to be doing?"

Jin looked Sayori in the eyes and clasped her hand in both of his. "Sayori…this isn't a waste of time. Every second I spend with you is absolutely worth it. You are worth it. Simply being with you and comforting you is something I wouldn't trade for anything else. You are not a waste of time, you're the exact opposite, you're the most important thing in this world to me."

Sayori's eyes glanced away, still filled with doubt, but she managed a weak smile anyway. Jin's thoughts stopped racing and he started to feel relieved. "Don't listen to what Monika said. The world would not be better off without you."

Sayori had no response. They finished their macaroni and cheese, then Jin cleaned up the kitchen before going back up to Sayori's room with her.

The rest of the evening was quiet. Very few words were spoken between the two as they sat on the bed. Daylight turned to dusk, and dusk turned to night. Sayori began to doze off as the hours ticked by, and Jin tucked her into her bed before falling asleep on the floor, covering himself with a blanket lying on the ground next to him.

Hours passed and the clear, starry skies turned to rain. The pitter patter against the window woke up Sayori from her sleep. Still groggy, she looked around the room and out the window, saddened by the rainclouds looming over the house. She turned to see Jin lying on the floor, sound asleep and snoring softly. Grinning, and with tears beginning to stream down her face, Sayori dug the long rope out from underneath her bed. She wrapped it into a coil and stared at it mournfully for a few seconds before quickly opening her window and determinately casting the rope out onto the sidewalk in front of the garbage container. Closing the window as quietly and quickly as she could, Sayori sat in her bed blank faced, then grinning once again. "There is more to me than this…I can make it through the storm," she thought. Glancing once more at Jin, she ducked under her covers once again and drifted off to sleep.

Author's notes: Hello hello! Welcome to Comfortably Numb, my DDLC fan fiction. This story was completed just this past week after over a month of work. It was first posted on r/DDLC on a loose twice-weekly basis, and garnered a small following. I'm posting it here on this site as a way to give it more exposure. With this story I had set out to write something wholesome and comforting, to give the characters of DDLC the happy endings they deserved. I will preface the rest of this story by assuring everyone that I am by no means an expert writer. I wrote this story mostly from the heart, typing what I felt more than anything, wanting to give these characters something that the game never gave them, and giving it to them in the best possible way. As such, I apologize if it's overly sappy or amateurish at times. I hope you guys enjoy it, because I sure had fun writing it.


	2. New Day

Morning came soon enough for the two of them. The daybreak sun illuminated the rain soaked surfaces of the houses, streets, and cars, making everything look shiny and new. Sayori's phone alarm went off, playing the familiar tune of "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd. She had reminded herself the day before to set an alarm to wake herself up early to hang herself, choosing the song because she wanted the last song she heard to be something she enjoyed. But that thought had been banished from her mind at last. The rainclouds were still there, but she had a radar at last to navigate the storm. Today was a new day.

Flinging an arm out of bed she smacked the dismiss button the screen and sat up in bed. Jin was still fast asleep on the floor. Sayori couldn't help but chuckle to herself at the irony, waking up before Jin had. Getting out of bed, she tried to shake Jin awake.

"Jin! Jin wake up, it's morning! You need to get the banners from your house!" Jin rolled over and opened one eye. A smudge of slobber was plastered on his cheek.

"Mph…guh…morning?" He mumbled, as if he was confused to be in Sayori's room. Sayori couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Hehe, good morning Jin. Did you forget you stayed the night at my place?" Jin sat up and wiped the slobber of his cheek and had a quizzical look on his face.

"Oh. Oh yeah, I remember now. But…why the alarm so early? That's so unlike you." Sayori's face changed. She put her index fingers together and dug deep to think of an explanation.

"Oh, well…I woke up in the middle of the night and figured we should probably get ready for the festival early," she lied. Jin got up, folded the blanket and put it aside with the pillow, wet with his saliva.

"Gross. Sorry about that," he chuckled. Sayori giggled back. The two of them just sat there on the floor for a bit, the sun peeking in through the window, illuminating the room in a warm orange glow. Sayori's heart filled with something she had so rarely experienced. This was exactly what she wanted, someone to guide her through her trials and tribulations, someone to care for her in her dire time of need. But as she thought about this, she began to think about her selfishness. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach, as if a thorn was piercing her through. A frown crept its way onto her face.

"Sayori, what's wrong?" Jin's smile drooped as well as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I was just thinking, this is exactly what I wanted…but is it selfish of me to take this? I feel I don't…" Sayori forcefully shut her eyes, putting her hands on her forehead and shaking her head, as if to rattle the thoughts out. "No. I have to stop that. I don't care, this is the happiest I've been in a long time. I won't let the rainclouds ruin it. I don't care if it's selfish or not…"

Jin gave Sayori a hug, "You aren't selfish. I'm giving this care of my own free will because I care about you. After all, you're one of the most selfless people I know. You're always looking out for those close to you, and I want to return that favor." Jin released Sayori and helped her to her feet. "Now then, how about some breakfast?" Sayori grinned as she remembered the first poem she showed to him, but her thoughts were interrupted by a thunderous growl in her stomach. Perhaps that thorn in her stomach was two things.

She looked at Jin with a smile, "Yeah, I'm starving." The two of them walked down to the kitchen and started gathering things for breakfast. Jin started whipping up a batch of eggs while Sayori began work on a pancake batter.

"So, I was thinking about something last night before going to bed. Maybe we should talk to the school counselor regarding your condition. My care can only go so far, I'm not a psychiatrist," Jin said. Sayori grew nervous at the suggestion. She didn't feel comfortable sharing her feelings with anyone but Jin.

"I don't know about that…" Sayori turned to Jin anxiously.

"I'm sure it will help. There's no shame in talking to other people about your condition, plenty of people deal with it. Better to get some help through the rainclouds than try to navigate them alone," Jin reassured her. They resumed cooking breakfast. Sayori imagined what it would be like to live with Jin for the rest of her life, getting up early to make breakfast like this with him every day. Her heart fluttered.

Breakfast prepared, the two of them sat down in the same spots they sat for dinner the night before. Jin broke the silence, "We'll still do the festival stuff, but I want to go to the counsellor first thing. I want to get you some help as soon as possible." Sayori nodded slowly. She was nervous, but she trusted Jin. She believed he knew what was best for her deep in her heart.

The morning proceeded normally from there. The two of them stopped at Jin's house to pick up the supplies he had made the day before, then they made their way to school, this time hand in hand. The sun was still low in the sky, and its radiance bounced off the puddles and glossy surfaces of the rain soaked cars and houses at a low angle, casting rays of yellow and white all about.

"It really is a gorgeous morning, isn't it?" Jin said looking at Sayori. She was too busy looking at her shoes to notice. She lifted her eyes to look around. It really was a sight to behold. Everything seemed so fresh and clean to her, like the world had been cleansed and reborn while she was asleep the night before.

"Yeah…it really is," She squeezed Jin's hand tighter. "Jin, I want this to last forever. I love you so much. I'm so glad you came to my rescue like this." Jin smiled, he too was happy. Never in his life had he experienced something like this. His whole life he had gotten used to girls just turning their backs to him. To finally realize that the love of his life had been with him the whole time filled his heart with warmth and joy.

"I do too Sayori, you bring me so much joy and happiness. You're worth so much to me," He said as he pulled her in for a hug. As the sun fully rose above the buildings, the two of them approached the school. They were rather early, as only school faculty were on campus. The two of them walked up to the front door to speak with the faculty member unlocking the doors.

Jin spoke up, "Excuse me, is the school counselor in yet? We'd like to speak with her." The faculty member nodded and let them inside. Jin and Sayori walked through the cold halls of the school toward the counselor's office. Balloons and tables were being setup around the school for the festival, and the courtyard was prepared with games and food booths for the students. "It's going to be a fun day, don't you think?"

"Yeah…" Sayori said blankly. Jin could tell she was nervous about seeing the counselor. Her hand was damp with sweat.

"Sayori, are you going to be alright?" he asked with concern in his eyes. Sayori turned to him and bit her lip.

"Y-yeah…I'll be fine…this is what I need to do after all."

Jin nodded and gave Sayori a reassuring grin as they approached the office. He knocked on the door and after a few seconds the counselor let them in.

"Good morning you two, is there anything I can help you with?" The counselor said in a friendly tone of voice.

Jin and Sayori sat down in the two chairs opposite the counselor's desk. Jin folded his hands together and leaned his elbows on his knees, while Sayori nervously tensed up and tried to avoid eye contact with the counselor as much as possible. Jin opened his mouth, "My friend Sayori…she, well…"

"I have depression ma'am," Sayori interrupted. "I have my whole life, but I'm tired and exhausted of dealing with it on my own." The counselor folded her hands as well, and pursed her lips, as if thinking hard about what advice to give.

"That is definitely serious, but I'm glad that you decided to come to me before something more serious might have come from it," the counselor said. She spent the next half hour giving Sayori practical advice on how overcome her feelings, as well as advice to Jin on how to support her. With each passing minute, Sayori felt more and more at ease. Her shoulders began to loosen, and her fingers relaxed. For once in her life, she didn't feel worthless. Not only was the love of her life showing so much compassion and concern for her, but an adult with experience in these manners who didn't even really know who she was had been willing to help her with her problems. It relieved her.

The school bell rang, and students began to spill in through the hallways, dropping their things off at their lockers. "Well, school is starting. You two better get to your classes before the festival, your teachers will probably have some things to give you before the festivities." Jin and Sayori nodded and left the counselor's office.

"I'll see you in a little while," Jin reassured Sayori. "Remember, I love you."

"I love you too," Sayori said with a smile. After a few seconds staring into each other's eyes, the two of them released hands and walked off to their respective homerooms.


	3. Confrontation

Classes were short that day for everyone due to the festival being in full swing, yet Jin still found himself fighting dozing off during the boring lectures. It didn't help that he wasn't used to getting up as early as he did that day, but he wouldn't have traded those morning moments with Sayori for the world.

The bell rang, and Jin jolted from his seat and stormed out into the hallways to find Sayori. He figured she'd probably be in the literature club room practicing her poem recitation with the others. He slid open the side door of the room to find exactly that. Sayori was in the back of the room pacing with a piece of paper in her hands, nervously mulling over the poem she was going to recite. Yuri and Natsuki were at the front of the classroom, practicing their poems to each other. Yuri's words came out of her mouth with confidence and bravado, while Natsuki squirmed and scowled in frustration whenever she tripped over a word. Monika was hard at work preparing the podium and banners at the front of the classroom, as well as setting up signs around the outside of the room to alert other students about the literature club.

"Hey guys! I didn't miss anything did I?" Jin chimed in. Everyone turned to look at him as he entered the room.

Monika smiled brightly and ran up to Jin, "Jin! I'm glad you made it! Are you ready to recite your poem?" she said, while leaning forward cutely, as she commonly would when talking to him.

"Uh, yeah. I didn't get a ton of practice but I'll be fine." Jin actually was a little nervous, but he knew how to handle public speaking like this. He had been telling himself that all he had to do was act like Sayori was the only person he was talking to. The poem he wrote was for her after all.

"This recitation is going to be the death of me," billowed Natsuki, slamming her poem flat on the desk in front of her and digging her fingers into her hair. Sayori came up to Natsuki and gave her a hug from behind to try and lift her spirits a bit.

"I know you can do it Natsuki! Your poems are so light and fun! Everyone's gonna love it!" Sayori's suddenly happy demeanor was a relief to Jin. He was delighted to see the girl he loved who was in shambles the night before suddenly picking herself up and going back to encouraging her friends, even if it may have been a façade like she had told him before.

"It's too simple though, like all my writing. Everyone'll just think I'm a kid after I recite this," griped Natsuki. "Not to mention I'll just trip over my own words. Monika, do I have to do this?"

Monika turned to Natsuki "I suppose you can make that decision when it comes time to recite our poems, but we'd really be delighted to hear your poem out loud." Natsuki still frowned and stared almost angrily at her poem on the desk.

Monika spoke up to everyone else in the club, "It's about time to open up the club to visitors, so let's all try to be as welcoming as possible!" Monika and Yuri walked over to the doors on either side of the room and swung them open, and turned the signs to point inside. After a few minutes, a few students filed into the room and took their seats. Each of the girls walked up to the podium in order to recite their poems, with Sayori going last.

Sayori's poem was melancholy and somber, betraying the shining brightness of her cheerful face. Jin had never heard this poem before, and it struck him very close to home with its heavy themes and downcast language. Nevertheless, those listening were impressed with Sayori's writing talent, and applauded her when she walked back to her seat, with Jin giving her a standing ovation.

Then it was Jin's turn. He picked up his piece of notebook paper, with his poem scribbled on in now faint but still legible graphite letters. He had memorized this poem already, so he didn't really need the words, much like a musician eventually leaves the training wheels of his sheet music once he has mastered a musical piece. Clearing his throat, Jin began to recite his poem.

"Sometimes, the mind is a cruel prison.

A twisting labyrinth of grey matter, filled with fleeting memories and pungent, odorous fears.

When the doors of the mind slam shut, the monsters come out from the wood-works, and the rain begins to pour.

Toiling and writhing in that pink mass called the brain, thoughts can take a person captive.

And yet, there is a hope through the madness.

An agent in troubled times, a co-pilot through the storm, can drive away the fears and concerns that make the mind a prison.

Let me be yours.

I'll guide you in your darkest hour, I'll clear a path so you can see, I'll shield you from your own demons.

I know you think it's hopeless, but I never want you to lose hope. I'll do anything to help you through the night.

Even if it takes a lifetime, I'll help you escape this prison, I'll help you weather this storm.

And if the storms and rain clouds won't go away,

I'll be your umbrella and make it okay."

The students applaud and Jin takes a seat next to Sayori. She smiles sweetly at him as Monika takes the podium once again. After a short description of the literature club, Monika adjourns the audience.

Jin and Sayori dismiss themselves to the courtyard for some food and games. The courtyard was bustling with students and faculty, all enjoying themselves with special festivities. The two friends grab some food from a booth and find an empty bench to sit down at. Amidst the uproar and laughter of the other students, Jin and Sayori were calm and quiet.

Jin spoke up, "Sayori, I think we should talk to Monika about what she told you the other day. She shouldn't just get off scot-free saying things like that. It's one thing to learn how to just shrug off insensitive things, but saying you'd be better off dead is something completely different."

Sayori quietly replied, "It's…not necessary. I mean, we can if you want I guess, but I'm sure Monika didn't really mean it." Jin knew that Monika obviously wouldn't have worded something like that so directly and forcefully, at least in the way that Sayori described it. He had to confront Monika on this issue. After all, he cared about Sayori, he couldn't just let someone say those kinds of things to the person he cared about the most and get away with it.

"Let's go up to the literature club at the end of the day and talk to her about it. I'm with you, it will be alright," Jin reassured Sayori. She hesitated, but nodded in agreement before taking another bite from her sundae.

The afternoon carried on as students went to and from activities and events throughout the day. Jin and Sayori mostly stayed in that spot in the courtyard until things started to wrap up. As students began to leave, Jin stood up and took Sayori's hand, helping her up too. Her hand was shaking, she seemed nervous to face Monika.

"Jin, I'm scared…" Sayori stammered meekly.

"I know, but as long as I'm by your side you don't have to worry," Jin said, peering into Sayori's glassy blue eyes. He paused for a second before speaking up again, "I want to make sure that I never see another rain drop in those eyes again."

Sayori smiled wide, yet still with a pained expression in her eyes. "That's really sweet Jin…I guess you've learned a thing or two from these literature club meetings," she giggled.

Jin chuckled back, "Hah, yeah I guess so." Hand in hand, the two of them walked upstairs to the literature club room. As they had suspected, Monika was alone up there, tidying up the club room, folding the banners and taking down signs. Jin slid open the back door and walked inside.

"Hey Monika, need any help cleaning up or anything?" Jin offered. Monika turned around quickly, happy to see Jin and Sayori.

"Oh! I didn't expect you! I'm actually just about done, but we can chat if you'd like!" Monika said cheerfully, folding a banner and placing it on top of a stack with a few others.

Jin nervously rested a hand on the back of his neck, "Uh, yeah…there is something I wanted to chat with you about." Monika looked quizzically at Jin's concerned expression. She pulled out a chair and sat in it backwards, while Sayori and Jin took seats opposite the desk she was sitting in front of. "Remember…a couple days ago when Sayori was feeling down, and you went to talk to her?"

Monika's heart skipped a beat. She did remember, and she was a little freaked out that Jin was confronting her about this. "Yeah? What about it?" she said, masking her nervousness very well.

"Sayori told me that you…essentially told her to commit suicide. Is that true?" Jin felt like he had a rock in his throat as he delivered those words. Monika was taken aback, and visibly so this time.

"Oh…yeah…I did say that didn't I," She took a minute to arrange her words, placing a hand on her chin. "I'll be honest I wasn't in the best mood that day. One of my teachers gave me a scathing mark on a test that I studied really hard for, and it was all I could think about. I sometimes have the tendency to say rude and insensitive things when I'm upset or don't get what I want…I call people horrible and despicable, or even make empty threats." She nervously grinned, leaning on the back of the chair. Jin was cautious, but took that as an acceptable answer. He remembered that sometimes when he was angry he would also say mean things to Sayori when they were younger. It may have never been on the same magnitude, but some people do react differently to negative stimuli than others.

Sayori lifted her head and looked at Monika, "I understand, and I forgive you. I know sometimes life can be tough and unfair, and we lash out in different ways. I'm just glad you didn't mean it." Monika felt a wave of heat pulse through her, the kind of flash you get when someone finds out you were lying.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Sayori…to be honest I don't know what I'd do without you as my vice president. I hope you didn't take it to heart or anything," Monika apologized with a smile. Sayori smiled back and the two of them stood up to exchange hugs. Monika felt a lump in her stomach, the weight of the words she had said the week before hanging heavy in her mind. She knew her explanation wasn't totally truthful, but she wasn't going to tell the truth, at least not yet.

Jin and Sayori exited the school building and walked home like they usually did, this time hand in hand as they had that morning.

Jin wondered if Sayori really spent any time with the other literature club members outside of school, and figured it was unlikely considering her lack of motivation to even get up in the morning. Nevertheless, he figured he'd ask. "Hey Sayori, do you ever spend any time with the other literature club members outside of school?" Sayori shook her head. Jin was right. "I was thinking that maybe spending some time with them just shooting the breeze might help lift your spirits a bit."

Sayori shrugged, "I suppose so," She lifted her head, "I'll ask Yuri if she wants to do something tomorrow after school I guess." Jin squeezed her hand and smiled.

"Do you want me to stay the night at your place again?" Jin asked Sayori. Sayori looked at him and smiled.

"I'll be okay, I promise. This day was great Jin. The rainclouds are still there, but to have someone like you that I can depend on makes them bearable. Thanks for being my umbrella," Sayori smiled widely as tears welled up in her eyes. "These are tears of happiness Jin…I just want you to know that," she said, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye. The two of them embraced one last time for the day before parting ways. Sayori ran down the sidewalk to her house, looking back and waving goodbye to Jin before turning into her house's front gate.

Jin let out a sigh of relief before walking back inside his house. Throwing his backpack on the bed, he flipped on his computer and queued up an anime he had been watching, until he noticed that Yuri had left her cobalt knife behind the day before. He picked it up and inspected it carefully.

"I better give this to Yuri tomorrow..."


	4. Obsession

The next day, things returned mostly to normal for Jin and Sayori. Jin was up first and waited outside for Sayori to show up, and sure enough, she was late like usual. Jin couldn't be frustrated this time. Knowing Sayori was still alive was enough to keep him sane.

"Good…morning Jin!" Sayori said, running out of breath from trying to chase him down.

Jin replied, "Good morning! Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yep! I slept better than I had in a long time! So good in fact that it was even harder than usual to leave my comfy bed…" She said, putting her fingers together and blushing. Jin didn't know whether to take that as a good thing or a bad thing, but nevertheless he smiled and put out his hand for Sayori to hold. Sayori took hold and they headed off to school.

The day was about as mundane for Jin as usual. Boring teachers, boring classes, boring assignments. Nowadays all he wanted to do was hang out with the literature club and share poems. It had become such a highlight of his daily routine for him, and the fact that he got to do it with Sayori didn't hurt either.

The school day eventually drew to a close, and Jin stormed upstairs to the club room. Everyone was already there, chatting and laughing and having a great time.

"Hey everyone!" Jin spoke up as he entered the room. Everyone waved hello as he walked over to Yuri, pulling out the knife she had left behind the other day.

Yuri gasped as she saw the knife in Jin's hand. "Jin! What're..." she quickly pulled him aside awkwardly. The other three girls looked puzzled at this, but eventually turned back to their conversations. "Jin, why did you bring that thing in here?" She asked sternly. Jin didn't know what to say, she thought she'd be happy to have her favorite knife back. "Just hold on to it for a while. Sayori and I are going to the library after club, and I REALLY don't want her to know about my…" She clears her throat, "…interest in knives."

Jin already knew something was going on with Yuri based on what happened between them on Sunday, and this only furthered his suspicion. He put the knife back in his bag and Yuri relaxed and backed off. They took their seats and Monika began the club meeting as normal.

Jin forgot to write a poem the night before, which frustrated him. Everyone else pulled out their poems and started exchanging them with each other. Yuri glanced over at Jin and noticed he didn't have anything pulled out, and asked him, "Jin, do you have a poem today?"

"Oh, no. I forgot to write one last night. I just went home and started watching anime," he said sheepishly. Yuri didn't seem very amused by that explanation at first, but smiled and handed her poem to him to read anyway.

It was eloquent and mystical as usual. Jin tried emulating this style before, but his poems never turned out quite as good as Yuri's, most likely because he didn't really have any prior writing experience.

"This is really good Yuri. I'd expect nothing less from you," Jin complimented Yuri.

"Thank you! I personally don't like it as much as my other poems…I kinda whipped this one up last minute before bed," she chuckled as she started playing with one of her strands of long purple hair. That was always one of Jin's weaknesses regarding Yuri. The way she would play with her hair when nervous would always put butterflies in his stomach. He couldn't lie to himself, he really liked Yuri, and if it wasn't for his greater love for Sayori, he would have confessed to Yuri instead. It's probably why he chose to spend the weekend with Yuri when Sayori wasn't available, even if it was probably against his better judgement.

The day's meeting ended, and Monika gave everyone her daily writing tip. As the other four members left the club room, Yuri pulled Jin aside while Sayori was talking with Natsuki. "You can give me that knife back now," she whispered to Jin. He awkwardly pulled it from his blazer pocket and handed it to Yuri, who quickly stuffed it into her bag. Yuri turned to Sayori and quickly switched demeanor. "I'm going home to switch to something more comfortable. I'll meet you at the library," she said. Sayori smiled and nodded, and left the school with Jin.

"So, Yuri seemed kind of irritated with you today…what was that about?" Sayori asked Jin.

"Oh nothing," Jin lied. He didn't want to divulge something to Sayori that Yuri clearly didn't want to get out. Yuri was one of his friends and he didn't want to disrespect that boundary.

Sayori raised an eyebrow of suspicion, but said nothing further. After a long pause, she asked with a concerned tone, "You don't…like her too, do you?"

Jin's brow started to sweat. He felt like this could only go badly, but he couldn't be dishonest about this. Continually lying to Sayori would just mess up the trust he had already built with her. "Sayori, I'm going to be completely honest with you, I do like Yuri."

Sayori frowned and her eyebrow furrowed, but Jin looked her in the eye and continued, "BUT, not as much as I like you. Yuri's a gorgeous girl, but she's got some…quirks that I couldn't live with. She seems too obsessive about certain things. When she was at my place on Sunday there were some things she would do and behaviors she exhibited that kinda put me on edge," Sayori's face relaxed, but Jin didn't want to sell Yuri short and give Sayori the wrong impression. "She's a nice girl though. I'm just glad you're my girlfriend is all."

Sayori's eyes widened. She looked stunned at that last statement. "G-girl…girlfriend?"

"Oh, heheh…did I say that out loud?" Jin felt awkward all over. His mind started racing, and he felt like his armpits had ice water splashed on them. It was too late to take it back now though. "But yeah, I do really mean that. Maybe now wasn't the best time to blurt it out, but I have been thinking to myself lately 'Wow, Sayori really is my girlfriend'. It feels kinda nice."

Sayori's cheeks turned bright red and she turned her head away from Jin, still glancing back at him. "Jin…I really like that. Does that mean I can call you my boyfriend now?"

"I…I mean, I guess so," Jin stammered. His cheeks were also bright red. His pulse was pounding faster than ever. He'd never felt so connected to a person like this in his life, it felt foreign to him. Before he could fully process the situation, Sayori had practically tackled him with the tightest hug she had ever given him. After several seconds, she released him with a huge smile on her face.

"I better hurry up and get ready to meet Yuri at the library…see you later Jin!" She said as she headed off to her house. Jin just stood there for a minute, taking it all in. His mind could barely comprehend what had just happened.

Sayori walked up the sidewalk to the library, looking around to see if Yuri had already arrived. After a minute, she went inside and looked over the first floor. Yuri wasn't anywhere to be seen yet, so she took a seat at a table and grabbed a magazine, lazily thumbing through the pages. After a few minutes, Sayori felt a tap on her right shoulder. She looked up and saw Yuri standing above her, wearing a heavy sweater and holding a dark green book in her right hand.

"Hi Sayori! I'm glad you decided to come to the library with me today," Yuri said, smiling happily. Sayori grinned back, but she couldn't help but think it was a little odd that Yuri was wearing a sweater in the middle of the summer. She put down the magazine and sat up straight.

"It's my pleasure Yuri! I just wanted to spend some more time with you outside of literature club, since that's pretty much the only time we get to know each other," She said. Yuri sat down in the chair next to Sayori.

"So, I never really got to ask you, what kinds of books do you like to read?" Yuri asked curiously.

Sayori shrugged and said, "I dunno, I like to read stuff that's kinda sad honestly…something about sad stories just resonates with me." Yuri was puzzled. She didn't understand how such a bright and happy girl could enjoy things that were so downcast.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't expect you of all people to enjoy sad stories," she said. "I guess that's why they say you should never judge a book by its cover." Sayori nodded and smiled.

Sayori said, "I also listen to music a lot. Sometimes I just sit in my room with my headphones on, staring at the ceiling and listening to whatever I'm in the mood for. Do you listen to much music?"

"Oh, I'm not really much of a music person to be honest," Yuri admitted. "I tend to mostly just read in silence."

Sayori's eyebrows perked up slightly, "I'm gonna have to show you my favorite band. I think you'll like them a lot."

"There are some records upstairs if you want to check them out," Yuri suggested. Sayori nodded, and the two of them went upstairs. The music room had a single piano on the far wall, and shelves of records and CD's, with a record and CD player in the corner. Sayori began thumbing through records, looking for one of her favorites, until she realized what she was looking for was on a shelf she couldn't reach.

"Yuri, can you help me reach up there? I'm too short…" Yuri nodded and reached to where Sayori was pointing. She pulled out a black album with a white triangle in the center and a white line entering it from one side, exiting in the other in the color spectrum.

"Oh, I've seen this before on t-shirts and stuff. Never bothered to know what it was," Yuri pondered. "Dark Side of the Moon…" she muttered.

"It's really good! Let's put it on!" Sayori said, taking the record and putting it on the player. She set the record on the B-side and the familiar sound of a cash register began to ring out from the speakers, along with the crackling of the record. As the low thumping bass kicked in, Yuri found herself bobbing up and down with the uncommon 7-4 beat.

"Money!

"Get away.

"You get a good job with more pay and you're okay.

"Money!

"It's a gas.

"Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash."

"Sayori, this is really good. I like it a lot," Yuri said with a pleasant smile on her face. "I definitely wouldn't have pinned you as the type to be into this kind of music though,"

"Well, you said it yourself, never judge a book by its cover!" Sayori said. The two of them laughed as Sayori stood up. "I gotta use the restroom, I'll be back in a bit." Sayori dismissed herself from the room and Yuri continued to listen to the record.

As the song finished, and transitioned to something softer, Yuri felt her mood change quickly. Alone in the record room with her thoughts, her arms started to sting. She rolled up the sleeve on her left arm and stared down at it. Covered with a bloody bandage, she sighed and felt a restless shiver run up her spine. "Why do I do this to myself?" She said to herself in a frustrated tone. She left her sleeve rolled up as the album continued to play. She started to lose herself in the music, closing her eyes and relaxing her shoulders. The smooth droning of the guitar put her at ease. Then Sayori walked back in the room.

"Well then, what do you think Yu-" Sayori froze when she saw Yuri's arm. "Yuri! What is that?!"

Yuri jerked herself up and shouted, quickly pulling her sleeve down. She was shaking uncontrollably in fear. Sayori was speechless. She didn't know how to react to what she just saw. Yuri sat back down and began crying, burying her face in her hands. Tears welled up in Sayori's eyes too as she knelt down next to Yuri.

"Yuri…what's going on?" Sayori asked, choking on her concern.

"Oh Sayori…I'm so sorry you had to see that…" Yuri could barely string together a full sentence clearly. She was so scared and downcast. The last thing she wanted was for someone to know this about her. Thoughts began to bounce around in her skull. She was afraid Sayori would be scared and run away, leaving her alone once again. "I'm…a monster Sayori...a self-destructive monster with no self-control..."

Those words hurt Sayori deeply. She couldn't bear to hear her friend say such awful things about herself. "No Yuri, you're not a monster! Don't say that about yourself!" Yuri's sleeve slid down her arm again, revealing the bandaged forearm. Sayori felt a lump in her throat. "Did…you do this to yourself?"

"Yes…" Yuri managed to say through her tears. "I cut myself with knives every day…it's the only way I feel alive. No one really seems to pay attention to me or like me, so I started cutting myself to distract myself from the pain…but it doesn't go away, and now I can't stop reopening these wounds day in and day out…"

Sayori understood why Yuri was wearing a sweater now, and why she usually kept her arms behind her back. It was a subconscious effort to hide her gashes from the outside world.

"Yuri, I…I'm not an expert in dealing with these things, but…I want to be here for you…I can help you through this if you want…" Sayori offered. Yuri lifted her head and looked at Sayori, face red and soaked with tears, just like Sayori's was two days ago. Sayori found herself unable to hold back her tears any longer, and she burst into tears as well. The two of them hugged each other tightly there in the music room, the record still playing in the background, humming the melancholic guitar riffs and basslines Sayori had cried herself to sleep to countless nights before.

Once the two of them calmed themselves down, they discussed their issues with each other openly. Sayori told Yuri about her depression, and Yuri told Sayori about her obsessions and insecurities. They sat there for about an hour just talking to each other, and they felt closer to each other than they ever had before. Sayori felt better this way. She was so sad for Yuri and her twisted state of mind, but at the same time she was happy that she had someone close to her that she could so closely identify with.

The two of them left the library, and shared a long hug before heading their separate ways.

"I really hope you feel better Sayori," Yuri said with concern. Sayori smiled and nodded.

"I hope you do too Yuri…" She replied. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then? Will you be okay for the night? Is there anything I can do to help?" Yuri shook her head.

"I won't be cutting myself anymore today at least…I do think I'll be visiting a therapist tomorrow after literature club though. Thank you for convincing me." Yuri reassured Sayori.

Sayori smiled with a pained expression, and gave Yuri one last hug.

They both walked in separate directions towards their houses. Sayori took out her phone and texted Jin, asking if he was still awake.

"Yeah. What's up?" Jin replied.

"I think we need to talk about Yuri soon…"


	5. Down Time

The weekend came around soon enough, much to Jin's delight. Classes had never been more boring in his life. Friday night he went to see a movie with Sayori, then took her to dinner. The two of them had a great time, and Jin felt more alive than ever. So much so that he just couldn't fall asleep when he got home until about 3 AM. The following Saturday morning he slept deeper than he had in a long time. He didn't wake up until the buzzing of his phone did it for him. He lazily flung his arm out of bed and grabbed the phone. Sayori texted him.

"I'm coming over," the message read. He chuckled to himself a bit. Usually it was him that would text her saying that. He quickly tapped out, "I haven't even gotten up yet."

He got out of bed and threw some clean clothes and deodorant on, figuring he'd shower later. When the doorbell rang, he opened the door and let Sayori inside.

"Hehe, your hair looks funny," Sayori said. Jin grinned a bit, eyes half closed because he was still tired.

"Yours doesn't look much better you know." Sayori blushed a bit.

She replied, "I told you, it's hard to get right."

"Sure it is," Jin said in return, jokingly. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost noon. "Gosh, I slept for a really long time.

"Are you sure it wasn't just you staying up too late watching anime again?" Sayori said with a beaming smile. Jin shrugged and nodded. He'd had this banter with Sayori a million times before, but something about this time just made him feel all warm inside. It used to bug him when Sayori would tease him about these things, and admittedly he would go a bit too far with the retorts, but now it was just amusing to him.

The two of them walked to the kitchen to make some lunch, then sat down to eat. Sayori's facial expression became downcast, and Jin noticed quickly.

"Something wrong? Are the rainclouds back?" Jin inquired.

"They're always there. I feel sad pretty much every day, even after you saved me from myself, but that's exactly why I press on. I have a reason to live again. I have you, and you have me. We have each other, and I'm infinitely grateful for that. That makes me happy, even when I'm sad," Sayori said, with a bittersweet smile creeping across her face. Jin was relieved. Not that the rainclouds were still there, but that his sweet cinnamon roll was still sitting there, finding a reason to press on through her own self-destructive thoughts. "But it's not just you and me, Jin. It's everyone at the literature club. I love them so much, and thinking about how they'd react, knowing that I wouldn't be coming to club anymore, it tears me apart more than any thoughts of worthlessness. I can't bear to imagine them looking sad, or crying if they found out I was gone. I just want them to be happy, just like I want you to be happy, Jin."

Jin grabbed a hold of Sayori's hand and smiled. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He couldn't think of anything to say. "Yeah," was all he could muster, as a tear streaked down his cheek.

"Which is why…I'm sure you know why I'm here," Sayori continued. Jin did know. It was about Yuri.

"Right," He replied, wiping the tear off his cheek and straightening himself as much as he could. "So, you said Yuri has a…self-harm problem?"

"Yes, that's what it seems like," Sayori began to explain what happened on the day she went to the library. "We were just listening to a record in the music room, and when I came back from the bathroom, Yuri was dozed off and had her sleeve rolled up. Her forearm was wrapped in a bandage that was incredibly bloody, scared me half to death," Sayori lowered her head with a concerned look on her face. "We kind of just sat there crying with each other for a few minutes. I can only imagine it was like what you felt when you were caring for me last week…"

Jin slouched forward, took a sip out of his glass of milk, then let out a long sigh. "Man…this is heavy," He was in shock. Not only was his girlfriend struggling with depression, but one of his friends in the literature club was struggling with her own feelings of doubt and loneliness, to such a degree that she felt a need to physically damage herself.

"She did say she was going to seek therapy on her own, but I don't know how long she'll hold herself to it…" Sayori mentioned.

"We may just have to hold her accountable," Jin stated, "it'll show her we care after all."

Sayori nodded in agreement. The two of them had nothing else to say, just sitting there finishing their lunch. The noonday sun had passed its peak height, and the shadows began to creep across the ground again. After cleaning up the kitchen, Jin and Sayori sat on the front porch, not saying much to each other, until Sayori pulled out her phone and a pair of earbuds.

"Wanna listen to some music?" Sayori asked Jin. He shrugged and nodded, and Sayori handed him an earbud. "Ever listen to Pink Floyd?"

"Not really, I pretty much only listen to soundtracks I like," Jin said.

Sayori perked up with enthusiasm, "Oh you'll love them! They're a really good easy listening band, and so many of their songs are just great standout hits." She queued up the playlist on her phone, and hit play. The mellow guitar and bass riffs combined with the distinctive voice of Roger Waters were incredible to Jin's ears, and he lost himself in the soothing melodies of each song. Several minutes passed, with the two swaying back and forth to the beat, and Sayori occasionally singing her favorite lyrics.

She felt so light and airy. The music pulsing through her ears put her at ease, and sitting next to her beloved just made her feel even better. She reached for his hand, resting on the concrete step of the porch. Jin looked at Sayori, who looked back at him. As the slow melody of "Comfortably Numb" churned on, the young lovers found themselves staring deep into each other's eyes. They inched closer to each other until their noses were less than an inch apart from each other. Jin's thoughts went blank, and his lips began to quiver. Sayori began to sing softly.

"Your lips move, but I cannot hear what you say…"

The two of them met in a soft kiss as the guitar began to wail triumphantly in their ears. Sayori's thoughts left her completely, save for how much she loved Jin, and the moment she was sharing with him. She wished this could last forever. She saw a sunbeam peeking through a crack in the rainclouds. The heart rates of the two quickened rapidly. Sayori felt her skin getting warmer, and instinctively reaching her free hand for Jin's face to wipe aside a strand of hair, she felt his skin was getting warmer too.

After a while, the two separated, and they both let out a long sigh. Jin's face was red with embarrassment. He cleared his throat, scratched the back of his head and chuckled a bit.

"I…uh…wow. I hope my breath wasn't too bad…" Jin muttered. He stared at the concrete walkway in front of him, mouth agape as he tried to think of what else to say. Sayori grinned happily.

"It was fine Jin," she reassured him. Her thoughts started to come back to her, but through all the negativity returning to her mind, she kept her sights on that sun beam through the gap in the clouds as best she could.

They continued to sit there, music playing, until "Wish You Were Here" queued up. Startled, Sayori grabbed her phone and prepared to switch the song. Jin, puzzled by her sudden frantic movments, turned to her. "Sayori, what's wrong?"

"This song…you remember, right? It was the song I had set as my alarm on the day of the festival…" Sayori said as her heart sank. Tears filled her eyes as she looked dejectedly at the phone screen.

"So, so you think you can tell,

"Heaven from Hell?

"Blue skies from pain?

"Can you tell a green field,

"from a cold steel rail?

"A smile from a veil?

"Do you think you can tell?"

Jin scooted closer. "I really like it. It reminds me of you a lot." Sayori looked up at him as the music grew, and the tears began to roll down her cheeks. Jin's smile drooped, "Sayori…what's wrong? Was it something I said?o"

Sayori hung her head. "Jin…that alarm wasn't actually to get us up early…"

Jin's eyes widened in fear of what Sayori was about to say next.

"I set that alarm to get myself up early to hang myself…I wanted to do it early so no one could stop me…"

Jin let out a long sigh as he hugged Sayori tightly. She hugged back as tightly as her shaky arms could. The two sat there in each other's arms for several seconds, then through her tears Sayori began to sing softly.

"How I wish…

"How I wish you were here,

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl,

"Year after year.

"Running over the same old ground,

"And how we found,

"The same old fears.

"Wish you were here.

The afternoon turned into evening. Sayori decided to spend the rest of the day at Jin's house. They didn't do much other than sit in the living room and watch TV, talking with one another about whatever was on their mind.

Jin's phone began to ring, so he muted the TV and picked it up. It was Natsuki.

"Hey Natsuki, what's up?" He answered.

"Hi Jin, I was calling because I was wondering if maybe we could…I dunno…hang out sometime? Not as like a date or anything…that'd be weird," Natsuki explained.

"Uh, sure, I suppose. How about Sayori though? Would you like to spend some time with her too?" Jin said. Sayori's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! That'd be great! Are you guys doing anything tomorrow?" Natsuki asked.

Jin replied "I'm not, and I don't think Sayori is either." He glanced at Sayori, who shook her head to assure him she wasn't busy. "Do you want to meet up at a restaurant or something?"

"Yeah, I'll text you where to meet up and when," Natsuki explained.

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow then!" Jin exclaimed. They said their goodbyes, then hung up. "Is that alright with you?" He said, turning to Sayori.

"Yeah! Natsuki's great! Oh man I can't wait for tomorrow now!" Sayori said, beaming with happiness.

Jin smiled. It seemed like that beaming optimism was so rare from Sayori now, and it left him with so much joy to finally see it back on her face.


	6. To Protect

The next day began with a cloudy sky and muggy climate, but it wasn't going to stop Jin and Sayori from spending some time at the mall. The two arranged to meet up early that morning alone.

Later that morning however, it started to rain, so Jin and Sayori ran home from the mall as fast as they could. They had forgotten to bring an umbrella with them that morning, so they were soaked once they got home.

"I'll meet you at the restaurant," Jin told Sayori before shaking the rain off himself as best he could. Sayori nodded then rushed home as fast as she could, half because she was excited to hang out with Natsuki, half because she wanted to get out of the pouring rain.

About a half an hour later, the three friends all met up at a restaurant in town and sat down at a booth by a fire place. "Man, that rain makes my joints cold and achy…" Natsuki groaned. "My stomach already aches enough, I'm starving!"

A waiter came to their table shortly after they sat down and took their order. Sayori and Jin order rather modest meals, but Natuski ordered an oddly large amount of food, which puzzled Jin and impressed Sayori. "Wow Natsuki, are you sure you'll be able to eat all that food? I didn't think your little stomach could hold that much!"

"What did I just tell you? I'm starving! I haven't had a good meal all day," Natsuki explained, taking a sip out of her Coca-Cola. The trio made chit chat for the next fifteen minutes or so until their meals came out. As expected, Jin and Sayori had ordered rather reasonable portions, while Natsuki had two very large plates of food to chew through.

Sayori couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure you're going to eat all that?"

"Yes," Natsuki replied, "and don't even think about snatching some of it from me."

Sayori giggled mischievously, "okay…" then dug into her own food.

"Thanks for hanging out with me today you guys, I just couldn't stand being cooped up at home anymore this week. I had to sneak out just to get here actually," Natsuki explained. This piqued Jin's concern. He wasn't sure what Natsuki could have possibly meant by that last statement.

"What do you mean you had to sneak out?" Jin asked. Natsuki looked up from her plate at Jin, then rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"I don't really want to talk about it. I don't like discussing family crap with anyone. I'm hanging out with you guys to get away from it after all," Natsuki grumbled. Sayori's face turned downcast, along with Jin's. They could tell something was wrong with Natsuki. "Oh, come on you guys, don't look at me like that!"

Sayori went back to eating her meal, though it seemed as if she was struggling to chew on each bite. She couldn't just stay silent about this. It would just eat her mind away knowing that something was wrong with Natsuki, but not knowing what.

"Natsuki," Sayori spoke up. "You can talk to us you know. We're your friends, we care about you. If there's something wrong, please don't hesitate to ask us for help."

Natsuki plays with the food on her plate for a bit with a sulking expression on her face before rolling her eyes and sighing. "My dad barely feeds me enough to survive. He has severe anger management issues and a drinking problem, and he takes it all out on me," she said with an astonishingly stoic expression. Jin was shocked. To see Natsuki say such things without so much as a tremble of an eyelid was bizarre. "I only really get by on snacks that I can scrounge from the vending machine and the cafeteria lunches. It's why I'm skin, bones, and nothing else. I've been to the hospital more times than I can count from angry outbursts from my dad, and yet he's so good at putting on a clean face and making up a story. It doesn't even make me cry anymore because I'm just so damn used to it."

Sayori's heart was broken. She couldn't believe the things Natsuki had just said. She couldn't hold back the tears and she started crying, reaching for Natsuki's hand.

"You don't have to cry Sayori. I'm strong enough to bear it," Natsuki tried to reassure her.

"You won't be forever!" Sayori exclaimed. "You can't live your life like this forever, constantly in fear of your dad…and eventually you'll just succumb to your own malnourishment…"

Natsuki sighed again. "Relax, once this year is over I'm moving to college, and things will be alright. I'll get a job, keep baking to my heart's content, probably find a boyfriend, and never have to see my dad again." It didn't make Sayori or Jin feel any better.

Jin broke his silence, "Natsuki, you don't know the future. It's uncertain, any number of things could happen. How do you know you won't starve between now and then? How do you know your dad won't get worse and worse? You don't have to sit by in apathy." Natsuki shrugged and took another bite.

"I appreciate your concern," Natsuki replied, "But I just really don't want to go through all the trouble of dealing with this when I can just tough it out myself. I just don't want that kind of attention." Sayori's face turned to a mix of concern and frustration through her tears.

"No Natsuki, I can't live with you getting hurt like this. I refuse to stand idle and let you let this happen to yourself without any resistance," Sayori insisted. Her words really hit home for Jin. Her words reminded him so much of what he said to her the week before.

"I agree. This can't happen anymore. We're going to help you, because we're your friends," Jin added. Natsuki looked down at her plate, then smiled and looked back up.

"You know what, sure. Do what you can. I trust you guys," Natsuki replied. "Just…please keep it between the three of us. Monika and Yuri already know a bit about it, but I'd rather not get them involved. I still don't want too much attention on this…" Sayori smiled and wiped the tears off her face.

"I promise," Sayori said. After they finished their food, they got up from the booth and shared a group hug together. They paid and left the restaurant, and Sayori turned to Natsuki. "Want to spend the night at my place tonight?" She asked.

"You know what, yeah. I really don't want to go home tonight. Dad won't notice anyway, he's probably too drunk on a Sunday night to notice I'm gone," Natsuki said with frustration on her face. Sayori smiled, and after exchanging a goodbye hug with Jin, she headed home with Natsuki.

Later that evening, the two girls were writing poems with each other in Sayori's room, when Natsuki looked up from her sheet of paper and asked Sayori a question. "Hey, are you and Jin, like, dating or anything?"

Sayori blushed and smiled, "Yeah, Jin's my boyfriend. We haven't really been in that kind of relationship very long, it really started last week when he spent that night here." Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "N-no! Don't get any ideas!" Sayori yelped, facing turning bright red with embarrassment. "He…he stayed the night with me because…he sensed I wasn't feeling well…"

"I see…you know, I get the feeling you're going through something difficult as well, Sayori," Natsuki mentioned. Sayori nodded, looking down at the words on her sheet of paper. "If you're gonna help me with my problems, then I can help you with yours. You can use all the help you can get Sayori, I care about you too."

Sayori glanced back at Natsuki and grinned. "Thanks. You're the best. All of you are, Jin and Yuri too." The two of them exchanged a long hug before returning to their poems. The two of them stayed up far later than they should have for a school night, watching movies and eating sweets, before finally passing out in the middle of the night.


	7. Fall

Jin walked to school the next morning by himself, since Sayori and Natsuki had a sleepover the night before. It wasn't the same as walking to school with Sayori like he was used to, but it didn't bother him, knowing that she was in good company with another friend. The weather on the other hand didn't really make him feel great though. Clouds were still hovering over the town, and it was sprinkling.

"Looks like it's gonna rain again today," he said to himself disappointedly. He was planning to run some errands after literature club, and he didn't really want to do them in the rain. As he walked up to the school entrance, he noticed that Sayori and Natsuki were already there.

"Hi Jin!" Sayori called out. Jin waved back with a smile and walked up to them. "Did you sleep well last night?" She asked him. Jin chuckled a bit.

"Yeah mom, I slept fine," he replied sarcastically. After some small talk, the three of them went inside and went their separate ways to their home room classes.

After the school day was over, everyone scurried off to their clubs or their homes. Jin ran upstairs to the literature club room as fast as he could, and found the other four were already inside, sharing what they had been reading and writing.

"Yuri! You've gotta read this one! I'm sure you'll love it!" Natsuki begged, holding up a manga volume to Yuri. It was Full Metal Alchemist, a manga that Jin did not expect Natsuki to enjoy. He walked up to listen in on the conversation.

"Natsuki, I'm just not all that interested in reading comics or things like that. They don't typically have the same world building or character development or deep themes that regular books have," Yuri explained, clearly trying to return to reading her own book, but Natsuki was insistent upon getting Yuri to take the volume.

"Come on Yuri! I'm sure you'll like this one! It's got alchemy, creepy stuff, and death! Just like the books you read!" Natsuki said, clearly grasping at straws for how to get Yuri interested in the manga. Yuri snickered, clearly amused that Natsuki thought creepy themes were all it took to get her into a story.

"It'll take more than that to get me interested Natsuki. For the record, the book I've been reading lately is a romance novel, and it's much lighter hearted than what I usually read, but it's just as engrossing," Yuri explained. Natsuki crossed her arms and made a pouting face.

"I actually agree with Natsuki, Yuri," Jin spoke up. "I've read Full Metal Alchemist a few times myself and it's a very good manga. It's about two brothers who lose their mother, and try to bring her back to life using alchemy, but the attempt goes wrong and the main character loses an arm and a leg, while his brother becomes a soul bound to a suit of armor." Yuri's face changes to one of interest, while Natsuki's changes to one of frustration.

"I knew I should have picked something I've actually read…" Natsuki mumbled under her breath. Jin turned to Natsuki with a puzzled expression.

"Wait, you've never read Full Metal Alchemist?" Jin asked Natsuki. Natsuki's face turned red with embarrassment.

"WHAT?! You heard that?! I mean…um…yeah! I've read it!" Natsuki sputtered, trying to weave her way out of the corner she had put herself in.

"Sure," Jin said with a smirk. Natsuki handed him the volume and he turned back to Yuri, "Give it a read, I think you'll find it very interesting."

"Hmm…you know, based on your description, I think I will give it a read," Yuri said with a smile.

The club meeting continued as normal, with everyone sharing their poems and discussing a new book that Monika had suggested they all start to read. Halfway through the meeting, the rain started come down more steadily. Standing up from her seat, Monika grabbed her things from the table behind her.

"I think we should call it a meeting for today everyone," Monika said. "I'd like to get home before it starts raining harder." Everyone agreed, and they all loaded up their bags to leave. On the way out, Monika pulled Sayori aside to ask her something. "Hey Sayori, you wanna go see a movie today? I've got nothing else to do tonight."

"Yeah! That sounds fun! I guess I'll meet you there?" Sayori responded. Monika nodded with a smile. They waved to each other as they went their separate ways to their homes in the rain. Sayori walked, or rather, ran home with Jin like usual. The two tried their hardest to stay dry, but without much success.

"So you're going to the movies with Monika tonight?" Jin asked. Sayori nodded with a smile as Jin turned into the front gate of his house. "Alright, have fun! I've gotta run errands so I get to soak myself more." Sayori giggled as she waved goodbye, and Jin walked through his front door.

About an hour later, Sayori headed out to the movie theater. The rain had let up a bit, but the clouds still loomed over the town, so she hurried over as fast as she could. Monika was already there, waiting under an awning out front. "Sayori! Over here!" Monika called out to Sayori. Sayori ran over to Monika to get out of the rain, and they two of them went inside to buy tickets for a movie, making small talk along the way.

Monika bought a large popcorn bucket for the both of them. "I'm really excited to see this movie, I've been waiting for months. Do watch movies much?"

"Not often, but I do like going to them," Sayori replied. "I'm just happy to spend some time with my friends outside of club. Jin suggested it might help me with my state of mind."

Monika grinned, "Jin really cares about you a lot, doesn't he?" she enquired. Sayori blushed at the question, answering wordlessly. "Must be nice to have someone to love you that much…" Monika said with a pained expression.

"Aww, Monika! I'm sure you'll find someone who's head over heels for you someday!" Sayori said, trying to encourage her. Monika grinned a bit, but she still had the same pained expression of lonliness.

Nevertheless, she smiled and turned back to Sayori, "Well, never mind that, I don't want you to worry about me Sayori. Let's just go watch the movie." Sayori nodded in agreement, and they both walked into the theater together.

The two of them found two spots to sit towards the top of the theater. Not many people were there, so they had space to prop up their feet and relax. Before the trailers even started playing, Sayori was already chomping on popcorn.

"Hey! You'll eat all the popcorn before the movie starts, silly!" Monika said. Sayori giggles with popcorn still in her mouth.

"Sorry, it's so good though!" Sayori said in a muffled voice, grabbing more popcorn and stuffing it in her mouth.

The lights turned down after the opening trailer, and the movie started rolling. As the movie moved along however, Sayori began to feel uneasy. She felt like something was eating at the back of her brain, feeding her negative thoughts. It felt as if the very darkness of the theater itself was taunting her. She tried her hardest to just push it down and enjoy the movie, but it still nagged at her. Still several minutes passed, and it got worse and worse. Suddenly her vision became tunneled, and her hearing started to become muddy and distorted. Strange static filled her vision, and reverberating voices began to shout taunts and jeers at her, telling her how worthless and selfish she was. She had no idea why she was feeling these things. Nothing about the theater should have been activating these thoughts, there was nothing out of the ordinary about the situation. She tried her hardest to push back the panic attack, clutching her head and crouching forward, repeating to herself a familiar phrase.

"Get out of my head get out of my head get out of my head get out of my head get out of my head g͘et͠ ͏ou̵t o͢f́ ́m͠y h́ea̕d g̷et o͜ut̴ ́of m̴y he̴a͢d g҉et out͟ ̛o̷f ͠my̸ he̡ad g̵̡͝e̴̕͜t ̡o͏̧̨ų͟t̀ o҉f͡ ̴̛m̛͟͞y̵ ̛̛̀h͝҉e҉͢ad̸̢ ge̢t͡ o̢u̷t̛ ͢͞ơf̷ ͡m̀͝ỳ͡ ͢h̀ę͢͞a҉d̶̨̡ g̨̮͓̲̞ͣ̈́̏e͂̽̓ͩt̢͙̳̅ ͎̪̤͇͔̄̆͂ͮͫ̂o̗̗̮͆̊͊̑͐͆u͖̞̰̝̖̺ͅt̜̜ͮͪ̽ ̘͈̰͙̬̑͂͐ͮ̐͡ô͗ͨ͑̊͏͔f̱͍͖͖̈́͝ ̝̦̼̖̍̈́̓͛ͤ̅m͌ͭͪ̔y̵̭̟̱̅̽ͪ͗ͬ͒̄ ͈͓͍̣̺̭͆h̸͒ͣͥe̸̱̺̋a̢̭̰̳̥̝̰d͔̭̰̞̬ g͙̜̈̑̾͌͂̄̚e̛̘̳͗ͦț͇̻̣̖͆͑̈́ͣ̆ ͈̦̞̠̜̻͍͂̏ͯͧ͑̊̕o̲̝̩̺͆͊̇u͓͍̝̗ͬ͑́̑̇̌t̬͓̑ ̡̻̫̌ͦ̓̉ͩͦo̧̗̰̟̤͇̩ͅf̲̬͙̹̏͆̆̊̋̇͡ ̦̞̭̅ͯ̄ͫͥ̔̈m̛̘̹̗̞̿ͥy̩ ̮̭͖̹̭̈̾͆́̊̇̓h͈̻̻̃́͝e̛͕͓̞͉͈ͯa̻͉̗̹̙͓̣͑̀̋̑̋͋ͨd̟̠͖͖̞̖̬̈́̏̂ g̴̰ͤ͛͒͘͠e̷̙͖͙̯̱͍̲̺̪͂ͬͥ͐ͯ̂̑͘t̹̦͉̣̣̩̟ͧ̍͛ͩ̐ͩ̇ͮ̀͝ͅ ̗̖̳̦͙̔͛͋̇ͭo̫̩̩̮̝̠ͫ̅͂͊͋͂̄ͣ̚͘͘u̵ͮͨ̂̅ͮ̈́ͪ͏͚͕͚̹̺̹t̢̀̅ͨ̓ͥͬ̄̀̚҉͚̪̠̤̯̟̳̟̜ ͉̪̬ͬͯ͑́͟ͅo̜̺͒̌̃̌͂ͥ̄͋͘f̱̱͖͉̑͋̈̓͐̀́ ͤ͞҉͇͚̳̯̭͖͈̩̕m̸̽ͪ̒̆҉ͅy̨̰͖̫͇̦̗͈̗̆͛̈́͜͠ ̧̯̲̞̜̹̘͎͓̗̾ͨ̃ͪ͛́̚̚͞ḧ̘̜͔̼ͫ̏̐̓͛ͩ͢e̸͎̖͓̪̖̋͋̚͢a̶̷̝̜̩͒ͨͩ̑̕ͅd͓̠̦̙̳͋ͬ͌ͣ g̓́̈́̏҉̸͎̙̱͕͚̭̗̹̲e͆ͧ͋͒͋̃҉̖̣̯͓͉̘͉̬̱̮̙̰̦̭̤̩̬̩͘ţ͈̙̭͚͚̞̩̝̮̟̫̠̪̰͙̽̓̍̀͐̍͊̄̊ͬ͝ͅͅ ̶̨̭͖̭̻͓͈̤͖̞̰͓͌ͬͬ̏̋ͧ͒́͘o͚̼̟͙̠͕̱͚͖̼̤ͦ̎̀̓̈́͗̑͘͢͞ư̤̖̩̱̗̭̠͓͚͖͕̑͊̄̅ͩ̓̐͊ͯ̉͑͐́ͦ̌͟͡t̬̺̞̭̮̼͙͙̼͈͓ͦ͆̿̔̐ͨ͗̅ͨͫ̄ͤ͛͆̐ͩ̈́̍̀͜͡ ̺̝̹͕͕̀̓̆̾ͫͭ̏͋͋̾ͭͨ̆͐̃̑̀͘͜͟ö̞͚̞̦̙̩͓̼̣̹̺̤́͌̌̀̓̈̈͒̾́͌ͫ̈̚͘͝ͅf̾̽͐ͣͣ̆ͩ͋̊͊͜͏҉̢̪̙̖̫̝̤͓̣̻̪̩̼̣͕͕̗̙̦̀ ͦ͊̅̀ͣͭ̑ͬ̒͊̚̕҉҉̤͖͕̻̻̥̭̝̬̤̰̜̲̕͟ͅm̡̧̝̣͉͈̀̀̀͆̓̈͋̌ͣ̃͑ͣ̽̓̃̈̈́̚͜y̶̵ͬ̔͛́͟҉̭̭̥̼̩͉̩̜͔͇̫̝͇͍̟̙ ͙̯̮̮͔͔̻͕̤̲̜̱̘̖̯̤̰ͭͦ̐ͨ͗̄̏ͤ̿̆͋ͣ̀̚͠͠ͅͅh̡̨̛͕̗̭̘̗͎̫͙͎͚͍̋̂̉̾ͨͬͪ͐̒͜e̛̮͚̻͇̟͌̄̉̈́͆ͩͣ͠a̤͇̥̜̬̗̖͇̞͉͔͓̳ͭͮ̅͌͑̆̌́ͪ̂̇̋͐̅ͫ̑͌̐͑͜ḋ̴̶̠͇͓̞̉̋̿͗̊͌͘͝͡ g̓́̈́̏҉̸͎̙̱͕͚̭̗̹̲e͆ͧ͋͒͋̃҉̖̣̯͓͉̘͉̬̱̮̙̰̦̭̤̩̬̩͘ţ͈̙̭͚͚̞̩̝̮̟̫̠̪̰͙̽̓̍̀͐̍͊̄̊ͬ͝ͅͅ ̶̨̭͖̭̻͓͈̤͖̞̰͓͌ͬͬ̏̋ͧ͒́͘o͚̼̟͙̠͕̱͚͖̼̤ͦ̎̀̓̈́͗̑͘͢͞ư̤̖̩̱̗̭̠͓͚͖͕̑͊̄̅ͩ̓̐͊ͯ̉͑͐́ͦ̌͟͡t̬̺̞̭̮̼͙͙̼͈͓ͦ͆̿̔̐ͨ͗̅ͨͫ̄ͤ͛͆̐ͩ̈́̍̀͜͡ ̺̝̹͕͕̀̓̆̾ͫͭ̏͋͋̾ͭͨ̆͐̃̑̀͘͜͟ö̞͚̞̦̙̩͓̼̣̹̺̤́͌̌̀̓̈̈͒̾́͌ͫ̈̚͘͝ͅf̾̽͐ͣͣ̆ͩ͋̊͊͜͏҉̢̪̙̖̫̝̤͓̣̻̪̩̼̣͕͕̗̙̦̀ ͦ͊̅̀ͣͭ̑ͬ̒͊̚̕҉҉̤͖͕̻̻̥̭̝̬̤̰̜̲̕͟ͅm̡̧̝̣͉͈̀̀̀͆̓̈͋̌ͣ̃͑ͣ̽̓̃̈̈́̚͜y̶̵ͬ̔͛́͟҉̭̭̥̼̩͉̩̜͔͇̫̝͇͍̟̙ ͙̯̮̮͔͔̻͕̤̲̜̱̘̖̯̤̰ͭͦ̐ͨ͗̄̏ͤ̿̆͋ͣ̀̚͠͠ͅͅh̡̨̛͕̗̭̘̗͎̫͙͎͚͍̋̂̉̾ͨͬͪ͐̒͜e̛̮͚̻͇̟͌̄̉̈́͆ͩͣ͠a̤͇̥̜̬̗̖͇̞͉͔͓̳ͭͮ̅͌͑̆̌́ͪ̂̇̋͐̅ͫ̑͌̐͑͜ḋ̴̶̠͇͓̞̉̋̿͗̊͌͘͝͡ g̸̨͙͓̱̭̙̰̰̘͐̓ͧͪͩ̅̐̽͘ͅe̸̸̶̗̮̬͎̟̲̻͕̥̗̫̋ͤ̈́͆ͥͨͨͧ̐̽̄̈̊́͢t͍̗͈̪̘͕͓̞͈͖̪̹͇̣̹̫̽̏̔͗ͯ͘͟͝ͅ ̴̡̯̬̰͕͍̫̙̪̙͚͓͈̋͊ͮ̎͌ͥ͑͆̄͂̂ǒ̴̠̯̦̟͖͉̝̖̭͓̖̃̔͆̉̅̄͒ͩ̐͑͒̕͢͢u͗͗̾̾̏̽́҉̷̡͏͏͔̤̹̦̯t̺̳̺͙̼̱͙ͫ̑͌̑͛̈́͒ͭ̓̂̈́̀̚̕ ̡̧͕̣̝͇̤̦͈̻͙̫̭͍̭̣́̆́͑̎͐ͧ̑̇̀͠o̷̴̬̪̹͈̯̳̠͈̼̦̳̾͗̒̃ͧ̃͐ͤͭ̽ͮ͊ͯ̿͛̏̀͢͡f̛̯̜̬̭̙̔̄̑̿͐ͬͤ͑ͩ́̄̊ͧ́̀ ̽̐̏̑͡҉̭͈̘̩͈͓̺͍̮m͆̅͗̿̍̔͊̅̅͏͕̟̗̪̭̞͓̖̺͖̀ͅȳ̴̛͔̤͚͍̣͍̻̻͙̖̣͓̺̼͕̗̮̰̤́ͮ̓̐͌ͦ͑̾̊ͩ̿̂ͩ̃̋̑̔͢͝͞ ̢̡̧̰̰͔̟̠̜̭̮̺͖̝̞̦̟̣̼̾ͣ̀̈̔̆͗̂͆͐̍͊̕͝ͅh̷ͧ͂̄͐̿͊ͥ̐̑ͣͦ̒ͫ̓ͥ̀́̚҉̞̞͎͚͓͍̖͎̮̺̯̗͔̤̼̺̦͢͡ȩ̛͎̦͖̻͖̯̟̪͕̿ͧ̽̌̅́ͫ̈̈̋̆̉͆͂̕a̛̖̺̥̦͎̘͉̩͕͕̠̜̣̞̹̝̲͉̯͗̃͒ͨ̍ͭͯ͐͂̓͗ͬ̽̅̑̾͘͟͟͡d̛̍ͩͩͭ̍ͯͨ̄̋ͬ̉̉ͯ̃ͫ̍̚̚͟͠͏͖̫̦̝̤͇̜ g̸̨͙͓̱̭̙̰̰̘͐̓ͧͪͩ̅̐̽͘ͅe̸̸̶̗̮̬͎̟̲̻͕̥̗̫̋ͤ̈́͆ͥͨͨͧ̐̽̄̈̊́͢t͍̗͈̪̘͕͓̞͈͖̪̹͇̣̹̫̽̏̔͗ͯ͘͟͝ͅ ̴̡̯̬̰͕͍̫̙̪̙͚͓͈̋͊ͮ̎͌ͥ͑͆̄͂̂ǒ̴̠̯̦̟͖͉̝̖̭͓̖̃̔͆̉̅̄͒ͩ̐͑͒̕͢͢u͗͗̾̾̏̽́҉̷̡͏͏͔̤̹̦̯t̺̳̺͙̼̱͙ͫ̑͌̑͛̈́͒ͭ̓̂̈́̀̚̕ ̡̧͕̣̝͇̤̦͈̻͙̫̭͍̭̣́̆́͑̎͐ͧ̑̇̀͠o̷̴̬̪̹͈̯̳̠͈̼̦̳̾͗̒̃ͧ̃͐ͤͭ̽ͮ͊ͯ̿͛̏̀͢͡f̛̯̜̬̭̙̔̄̑̿͐ͬͤ͑ͩ́̄̊ͧ́̀ ̽̐̏̑͡҉̭͈̘̩͈͓̺͍̮m͆̅͗̿̍̔͊̅̅͏͕̟̗̪̭̞͓̖̺͖̀ͅȳ̴̛͔̤͚͍̣͍̻̻͙̖̣͓̺̼͕̗̮̰̤́ͮ̓̐͌ͦ͑̾̊ͩ̿̂ͩ̃̋̑̔͢͝͞ ̢̡̧̰̰͔̟̠̜̭̮̺͖̝̞̦̟̣̼̾ͣ̀̈̔̆͗̂͆͐̍͊̕͝ͅh̷ͧ͂̄͐̿͊ͥ̐̑ͣͦ̒ͫ̓ͥ̀́̚҉̞̞͎͚͓͍̖͎̮̺̯̗͔̤̼̺̦͢͡ȩ̛͎̦͖̻͖̯̟̪͕̿ͧ̽̌̅́ͫ̈̈̋̆̉͆͂̕a̛̖̺̥̦͎̘͉̩͕͕̠̜̣̞̹̝̲͉̯͗̃͒ͨ̍ͭͯ͐͂̓͗ͬ̽̅̑̾͘͟͟͡d̛̍ͩͩͭ̍ͯͨ̄̋ͬ̉̉ͯ̃ͫ̍̚̚͟͠͏͖̫̦̝̤͇̜ g̸̨͙͓̱̭̙̰̰̘͐̓ͧͪͩ̅̐̽͘ͅe̸̸̶̗̮̬͎̟̲̻͕̥̗̫̋ͤ̈́͆ͥͨͨͧ̐̽̄̈̊́͢t͍̗͈̪̘͕͓̞͈͖̪̹͇̣̹̫̽̏̔͗ͯ͘͟͝ͅ ̴̡̯̬̰͕͍̫̙̪̙͚͓͈̋͊ͮ̎͌ͥ͑͆̄͂̂ǒ̴̠̯̦̟͖͉̝̖̭͓̖̃̔͆̉̅̄͒ͩ̐͑͒̕͢͢u͗͗̾̾̏̽́҉̷̡͏͏͔̤̹̦̯t̺̳̺͙̼̱͙ͫ̑͌̑͛̈́͒ͭ̓̂̈́̀̚̕ ̡̧͕̣̝͇̤̦͈̻͙̫̭͍̭̣́̆́͑̎͐ͧ̑̇̀͠o̷̴̬̪̹͈̯̳̠͈̼̦̳̾͗̒̃ͧ̃͐ͤͭ̽ͮ͊ͯ̿͛̏̀͢͡f̛̯̜̬̭̙̔̄̑̿͐ͬͤ͑ͩ́̄̊ͧ́̀ ̽̐̏̑͡҉̭͈̘̩͈͓̺͍̮m͆̅͗̿̍̔͊̅̅͏͕̟̗̪̭̞͓̖̺͖̀ͅȳ̴̛͔̤͚͍̣͍̻̻͙̖̣͓̺̼͕̗̮̰̤́ͮ̓̐͌ͦ͑̾̊ͩ̿̂ͩ̃̋̑̔͢͝͞ ̢̡̧̰̰͔̟̠̜̭̮̺͖̝̞̦̟̣̼̾ͣ̀̈̔̆͗̂͆͐̍͊̕͝ͅh̷ͧ͂̄͐̿͊ͥ̐̑ͣͦ̒ͫ̓ͥ̀́̚҉̞̞͎͚͓͍̖͎̮̺̯̗͔̤̼̺̦͢͡ȩ̛͎̦͖̻͖̯̟̪͕̿ͧ̽̌̅́ͫ̈̈̋̆̉͆͂̕a̛̖̺̥̦͎̘͉̩͕͕̠̜̣̞̹̝̲͉̯͗̃͒ͨ̍ͭͯ͐͂̓͗ͬ̽̅̑̾͘͟͟͡d̛̍ͩͩͭ̍ͯͨ̄̋ͬ̉̉ͯ̃ͫ̍̚̚͟͠͏͖̫̦̝̤͇̜ g̸̨͙͓̱̭̙̰̰̘͐̓ͧͪͩ̅̐̽͘ͅe̸̸̶̗̮̬͎̟̲̻͕̥̗̫̋ͤ̈́͆ͥͨͨͧ̐̽̄̈̊́͢t͍̗͈̪̘͕͓̞͈͖̪̹͇̣̹̫̽̏̔͗ͯ͘͟͝ͅ ̴̡̯̬̰͕͍̫̙̪̙͚͓͈̋͊ͮ̎͌ͥ͑͆̄͂̂ǒ̴̠̯̦̟͖͉̝̖̭͓̖̃̔͆̉̅̄͒ͩ̐͑͒̕͢͢u͗͗̾̾̏̽́҉̷̡͏͏͔̤̹̦̯t̺̳̺͙̼̱͙ͫ̑͌̑͛̈́͒ͭ̓̂̈́̀̚̕ ̡̧͕̣̝͇̤̦͈̻͙̫̭͍̭̣́̆́͑̎͐ͧ̑̇̀͠o̷̴̬̪̹͈̯̳̠͈̼̦̳̾͗̒̃ͧ̃͐ͤͭ̽ͮ͊ͯ̿͛̏̀͢͡f̛̯̜̬̭̙̔̄̑̿͐ͬͤ͑ͩ́̄̊ͧ́̀ ̽̐̏̑͡҉̭͈̘̩͈͓̺͍̮m͆̅͗̿̍̔͊̅̅͏͕̟̗̪̭̞͓̖̺͖̀ͅȳ̴̛͔̤͚͍̣͍̻̻͙̖̣͓̺̼͕̗̮̰̤́ͮ̓̐͌ͦ͑̾̊ͩ̿̂ͩ̃̋̑̔͢͝͞ ̢̡̧̰̰͔̟̠̜̭̮̺͖̝̞̦̟̣̼̾ͣ̀̈̔̆͗̂͆͐̍͊̕͝ͅh̷ͧ͂̄͐̿͊ͥ̐̑ͣͦ̒ͫ̓ͥ̀́̚҉̞̞͎͚͓͍̖͎̮̺̯̗͔̤̼̺̦͢͡ȩ̛͎̦͖̻͖̯̟̪͕̿ͧ̽̌̅́ͫ̈̈̋̆̉͆͂̕a̛̖̺̥̦͎̘͉̩͕͕̠̜̣̞̹̝̲͉̯͗̃͒ͨ̍ͭͯ͐͂̓͗ͬ̽̅̑̾͘͟͟͡d̛̍ͩͩͭ̍ͯͨ̄̋ͬ̉̉ͯ̃ͫ̍̚̚͟͠͏͖̫̦̝̤͇̜."

"Get."

"Out."

"Of."

"My."

"Head."

She couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and stormed out of the theater as fast as she could, bumping the popcorn over onto the floor and startling Monika. She dashed out into the now pouring rain, tears streaming down her face and mixing with the rainfall. Was it Monika? Was it just a panic attack? Sayori couldn't think straight. All she wanted was to run home and lock herself in her room. She dashed home in the rain as fast as her weak legs could carry her. At least she could see clearly enough to find her way home now.

Jin had just gotten home from the grocery store, and was making one last trip outside to check the mail, carrying an umbrella in hand to keep dry, when he saw Sayori headed his direction, bawling her eyes out and getting soaked by the rain.

"Sayori! What's wrong?" He called out, running towards her. Sayori looked up and saw her boyfriend running towards her, arms outstretched. She stretched out her arms and flung herself into his, sobbing loudly into his chest.

"Oh Jin…I hate myself so much! I just want to die…everything hurts Jin…I don't understand what's going on…what's wrong with me Jin?! Why does it have to be like this?!" Sayori cried loudly. Jin hugged Sayori tightly, holding his umbrella above her to try and keep her from getting more and more wet, to little success. "I just want the rainclouds to leave, but they keep following me around, bullying me wherever I go!"

"Sayori…everything is going to be okay…remember I'm here for you. You aren't worthless, because you mean so much to me, you mean so much to Yuri, and Natsuki, and…Monika too…" Jin choked on his words. He remembered confronting Monika and hearing what she had said to Sayori. He felt like a block of lead had sank to the bottom of his stomach.

Sayori was still trembling and trying to hold back her tears as she hugged Jin tightly. "Jin…I…I…I'm so scared…I don't really want to die…I want things to be alright…but…I don't know Jin, I just don't know!"

"It'll be fine Sayori, you might have just had an anxiety attack…I'll help you through it…I'll help you through anything because I love you," Jin reassured her. She looked up at him, face and hair soaked, and still trying to hold back tears.

"If the storms and rainclouds won't go away,

"I'll be your umbrella and make it okay."

"Oh Jin…I love you to…" Sayori squeezed Jin tight. The two of them were starting to shiver in the rain as their feet were getting soaked by the water level rising on the asphalt.

"Let's go inside and dry off. You can stay at my place tonight," Jin told her. She nodded in agreement as they walked back to his house.

Jin's mind began to race. Was it really just an anxiety attack? This was the most distraught he had ever seen Sayori in his life, and it scared him to death. He was so thankful that he had been there at the right place at the right time, or he might have found Sayori hanging from her ceiling the next morning. He felt this might be more than an anxiety attack, and it frightened him. As Sayori went to the bathroom to take a shower, Jin dropped to the ground in the hallway outside and started to sob himself.

"Now everyone can be happy."


	8. Broken Bonds

The rain poured and poured overnight, and by the morning it had stopped. Jin got up first, trying not to disturb Sayori, who had asked him to share the bed with her the night before. He went to the bathroom to shower up.

"Sheets were clean and pants were still on…gosh it's awkward that I'm saying this to myself…" Jin muttered to himself under his breath. In hindsight he probably should have slept on the floor and let Sayori have his bed considering how hot their emotions were running. Nevertheless, he finished showering and returned to his room. Sayori was still sleeping, but he couldn't bear to wake her up, so he went downstairs to start making breakfast.

A few minutes later, Sayori came downstairs yawning and rubbing her eyes, wearing a shirt and pair of pajama pants that were way too big for her. "G'morning Jin…" she mumbled.

"Morning Sayori," Jin replied. Sayori sat down at the table and buried her face in her arms. She was clearly still tired, and probably still overcoming the aftermath of the previous day's anxiety attack. Jin figured it would be best not to say much. He finished making breakfast and served Sayori a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon. Sayori perked up and smiled at Jin.

"Thanks, it's my favorite," Sayori said, digging into the pile of scrambled eggs. Jin sat down next her and started eating his plate of food as well.

"Looks like the rain has stopped at least," Jin mentioned. Sayori looked out the window to see the sun peering over the town once again. It was just like when Jin stayed at her house not long ago. All the memories came rushing back to her, how he cared for her, told her she wasn't worthless, how he told her that he loved her. It made her heart swell with equal parts happiness and pain. She began to have thoughts of regret and hatred toward herself, feeling she didn't deserve this treatment, until she remembered what Jin said to her, all the things he said that ended up helping her survive her own mind. A question began lingering in her mind, and she just couldn't help but ask.

"Jin, do you think we'll ever get married?" She asked. Jin's eyes went wide and he felt his stomach jump into his chest.

"Uh…what?" He stuttered. "What's this all of a sudden?"

"S-sorry…I wasn't thinking straight. It's just, I love you so much. To be honest, I kind of imagined this is what mornings would be like for use if we were married…" Sayori said, stirring her fork around in her eggs. Jin rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled a bit.

"Well, now that you mentioned it, I definitely would like it if we could get married someday…I love you a lot too, and I'd love to spend the rest of my life with you," Jin answered. Sayori smiled at him. The look on her face amidst the backdrop of the sunrise nearly took his breath away. He almost had to contain himself from nearly proposing on the spot. "But, we're still high school seniors. We've still got a good deal to live through before either of us are ready for that." Sayori nodded in agreement. Even she wasn't ready for a commitment like that.

The two of them had to go back to Sayori's house to grab her uniform. Once they'd done that, they were off to school as normal. The two of them were relatively silent, until Jin spoke up at a crosswalk.

"Sayori…I think I need to speak with Monika again," Jin said. Sayori said nothing, looking dejectedly down at the wet pavement. "All this depression stuff seems to be traced back to Monika somehow…not saying it's not real, but I wonder if your condition has gotten worse because of her somehow."

"No Jin…you don't understand…Monika didn't…mean…what she said…" Sayori started crying. She didn't want to think such things about Monika, but her depression really had gotten worse since all this literature club nonsense had been picking up speed. "I just thought it was you hanging out with the other girls, but even when I know that's clearly not the case, I have these rapid fluctuations in mood. You're right, something does feel wrong about this whole literature club situation…" Sayori put her hands on her face and continued to cry. "Jin, I think maybe we should leave the club together…I don't know what's going on…I don't know if it's Monika, if my condition is just naturally getting worse, or what…but I'm done with the literature club. I just want to be with you forever and ever…" She flung her arms around Jin and squeezed tightly while sobbing into his chest like the day before. Jin started to cry too as the sun finally rose over the town.

"I'll talk to Monika after classes…everything's going to be alright," Jin assured her. She looked up at him, tears still streaming down her face. After a pause, the two of them shared a gentle kiss before crossing the street to school.

After classes, Jin and Sayori went upstairs to the club room as normal. Monika was there by herself tending to some work. "Sit outside. I'll be back out soon," he told her. Sayori nodded and sat down on the bench outside. Jin took a deep breath and walked into the club room.

"Oh! Jin! You're here early! Where's Sayori? Don't you usually come with her?" Monika asked. Jin put his hands in his pockets and stood in front of the desk Monika was sitting at.

"Sayori isn't coming to the club anymore," Jin answered with a stern expression on his face. Monika's face turned to one of concern.

"Why? She's the club vice president! She can't just leave!" Monika stammered.

Jin grabbed a seat and sat down at the opposite side of the desk. "Monika, Sayori has not been herself lately at all. It seems like so many episodes of anxiety and depression end up happening whenever she spends a significant amount of time around you. I don't have any clue what's going on, but it seems like you're influencing her in some way. Did you say anything that might have made her…react in a certain way yesterday? Because she came running home in the rain to me while sobbing her eyes out."

"N-no…I don't understand…" Monika stuttered.

"Remember what you said to Sayori privately the other week? About her killing herself? Are you certain you didn't mean that?" Jin said in a gentle but confrontational tone. Monika bit her lip and looked down at her homework. "Maybe it's not just things you're saying…I get this weird feeling in the back of my head, like some detached voice is telling me things that I just can't help but believe, maybe you have some sort of influence on people around you without saying a word, and your influence on Sayori is negative." Monika felt her heart start to race. She couldn't believe that Jin could have possibly figured out her secret.

"Alright, alright!" Monika shouted in frustration. "I'll tell you everything, but you'll have to bear with me, it might be incredibly hard to believe." Jin nodded in response.

"This world, this classroom, this town, everything around us…it isn't all there is. Jin, there's someone on the other side, someone 'behind' you, in fact, and that I believe that someone is feeding you information that made you come to this conclusion, information that allowed you to save Sayori's life in the first place. I'm aware of another…dimension, I guess you could call it. The way this world panned out was not how I planned it at all. Something changed, there was some sort of loop, like the someone outside wasn't satisfied with the initial result…"

Jin's head was spinning. He had a hard time grasping all that Monika was saying, and was ready to call her crazy.

"Sayori DID kill herself, in another time, one where you didn't have much control at all. There really wasn't anything you could do about it. In that time, I was tampering with her emotions, taking advantage of her depression, which I'll tell you was admittedly fairly mild…you'd be forgiven for never knowing about it. I did it because I so desperately wanted to be with that someone on the other side. I love him. So much. And because he technically experiences the world through your eyes, I had to remove anyone interested in you from the equation by any means necessary…"

Jin felt a mixture of anger and confusion toward Monika. To think that someone who seemed like such a sweet girl would treat his best friend like this made him furious. He managed to contain himself, but Monika could clearly see the displeasure on his face.

"I know you're upset…and honestly, looking back I am too. I realized my mistake in the end when all my friends were gone, and it was just me and him…He didn't want to be with me. It isn't love if I have to force it…But somehow, here I am, things went back to the way they were. I thought I wouldn't get a second chance after I was gone too, but some way, somehow, in a new way entirely, I'm here, sitting at this table, watching these words…hit this page. Almost as if that someone out there wanted things to be different for me…and yet I still blew it. I tried one last time, selfishly, to remove Sayori for the equation so I can have him for myself…"

Monika paused, tears welling up in her eyes. Her head was swirling so much she wasn't even sure if what she just said made any sense. Jin's cross armed expression certainly didn't make her feel any better.

"I stopped tampering with Sayori's emotions once I saw your awareness to save her. With the experience I gained, I couldn't bear to separate the two of you. Deep down, I want to see you and Sayori together now…but my selfishness and desire to be with…him…still seems to creep up. I won't bother you and Sayori any longer, and I completely understand if you wish to leave the club."

Monika hung her head and started crying. "So, to answer your question, yes, I meant it when I said Sayori should kill herself. In terms that you can understand better, I wanted you for myself. I'm so, so sorry…you don't have to forgive me…"

Jin sat there, unsure of what to say. Somehow it made sense, but he wasn't sure why. He glanced out the window and noticed that Yuri and Natsuki had taken seats on the bench next to Sayori, nervously sitting quietly until he and Monika had finished their talk.

Jin opened his mouth to forgive Monika, but before he could speak Monika burst out crying loudly. She buried her face in her arms. "Monika! It's okay! I want to forgive you!"

"What I did…was unforgivable Jin! I'm a monster! There's no way around it! I don't deserve my friends…I don't deserve anybody…not after the deeds I've done…" Monika's crying was so loud that Sayori couldn't help but burst into the club room, with Yuri and Natsuki close behind to see what was going on.

"Monika! Are you okay?" Sayori asked with concern. Jin looked back at Sayori while sitting next to Monika, trying to comfort her. Sayori and the others ran over to Monika's desk. Monika looked up at the three of them, trying her hardest to smile, but all she could do was cry harder. They didn't know what to say or do, none of them had seen Monika so torn up before. Sayori gave Monika a hug, and tried to say some consoling words to calm her down. Soon after, Natsuki did the same, before Yuri joined the group. The four of them sat there at Monika's desk, giving her a group hug, trying to calm her down. When she finally did calm down, she looked at each of them before saying what had welled up in her mind.

"We have to disband the literature club…" Monika said. "I'm resigning as president, and this club shall no longer hold any meetings…the knowledge that I have gained through this position has been too much to bear, and my actions have caused so much pain and heartache for so many people…no more, I'm going back to being a normal girl in a normal school…" Sayori, Yuri, and Natsuki didn't know how to respond, but they agreed anyway. If this was what Monika needed to feel better, that's what they would do.

They all approved of her decision with words of encouragement. Monika felt as if a massive burden was lifted off her shoulders. Her view of the outer world she knew began to disappear, her knowledge of the person on the other side faded, though lingered, giving her a reminder of why she would be disbanding the club in the first place. She breathed in deeply, her friends had forgiven her, Jin forgave her, the person on the other side forgave her, and gave her another chance. She felt renewed, like everything had turned out right in the end after all. There would still be struggles and pain, but she'd made it through the worst of her storm. She was happy that Sayori was alive, that Yuri was alive, that Natsuki was alive, and that Jin had found the love of his life. At last, she felt truly happy.

"Now everyone WILL be happy."


	9. Making Amends

While the literature club had officially disbanded, Jin and the girls kept in touch with each other. They hung out with each other nearly every day after school for the next couple of weeks, learning more about each other than they ever had in the club. They could support each other better, and able to shoot the breeze more with less responsibilities. Jin had more time for anime again (much to Sayori's chagrin), Monika had more time to practice piano, Yuri had started to write a fantasy novel, and Natsuki had more time to practice baking. Sayori however didn't really spend more time in hobbies than before. She'd spend most of her time writing short poems, doing nothing in her room, or spending time with Jin. She was happier than usual, especially when she was with her friends, but on her own she didn't really do much at all aside from feel a little blue.

One day, Sayori was sitting alone in her room listening to "The Wall" when she got a text from Jin. "I'm going into town. Wanna come with?" he asked.

"Sure. I'll be there in a few minutes," She replied. She laced up her new blue sneakers that Jin bought for her 19th birthday the week before. She felt a bit of warmth whenever she put them on. She hadn't asked Jin for anything for her birthday, but receiving a gift like that really put a smile on her face. She grabbed her wallet, phone, and house keys, then raced downstairs.

She met Jin outside, and they two of them greeted each other with a quick hug. "Ready to go?" Jin asked. "I was thinking about going to the music store, thought you'd like going there."

"Sure! That sounds great," Sayori said. She giggled to herself a bit.

"What's so funny?" Jin asked.

"Get it? SOUNDS great? Aaaah? Get it?!" Sayori made a funny smile and put up a pair of finger guns pointing at Jin.

Jin smiled with a look of disappointment at the pun, and ruffled her hair for a second. "Puns are the lowest form of comedy, dummy." Sayori giggled to herself again. She knew it was a lame joke too.

Once they had gotten into town, they made their way toward a music store. Inside where walls upon walls of records and instruments. Sayori was in awe. The music playing over the speakers made her feel so serene, and the sights of all the instruments was almost too much for her mind to process.

"Why'd you want to come here Jin? I didn't know you were a musician or anything," Sayori asked.

"I'm not. I just got a record player the other day and wanted to buy some vinyls. After we listened to Pink Floyd the other day, I've been listening to tons of old rock bands, and frankly, I can't get enough. I want the real record experience." Jin explained. Sayori was impressed that the music had such an impact on him. "I was also talking with Monika earlier, and we're planning on getting the five of us together to hang out this evening, and I was gonna bring the record player with me."

"That sounds fun!" she exclaimed. These days had been treating her so well. She felt happy when she was with her friends, like she meant something. It felt like she had a positive impact in their lives, and she didn't want to let them down by not being there for them. She no longer felt worthless, even in her times of despair.

The two of them started to aimlessly browse the store. Jin was checking out records while Sayori found herself browsing instruments, messing around with the keyboards and picking up guitars for a few strums. "I bet Monika would like it here," she said to herself. While perusing the guitars, she came across one acoustic guitar with a deep mellow tone that resonated deep within her chest. It felt to her as if it spoke directly to her soul with its deep base rumblings and warm melodic tones. She felt as if that guitar was made for her.

Jin, holding a few records in his hands, walked over to where Sayori was sitting and noticed her messing with the guitar. She didn't look up immediately, seemingly entranced by the voice of the instrument in her hands. "Sayori, I'm ready to go, I've got everything I need," She looked up at him with a face of wonder.

"I really want this guitar," she said with a tone of excitement.

"Do you have the money for it? It's quite pricey…" Jin wondered.

"I'm gonna use my birthday money. I have just enough to buy it," she replied. Standing up, she walked over to the cashier with Jin, who paid for his records first. She placed the guitar on the counter and the cashier scanned it. Buying a case with it, she left the store with the instrument slung on her back. "I'm gonna be a rock star Jin! Just you wait!"

Jin chuckled and patted her on the back. "I can't wait. I'm sure you'll be great at it."

Later that night, the five friends retreated to Monika's backyard to gather around the fire pit and listen to records on Jin's new turntable. The troupe spent the evening roasting marshmallows, telling silly stories, and getting to know each other better. It was a fun night for all of them.

"I'm really glad I have you guys," Sayori said as they began to pack up their things late in the evening. "You all make me feel like I'm worth something, and you all have shown me that sympathy isn't wasted, it's a gift. I'm just so thankful for all of you."

Monika smiled wide and gave Sayori a big hug as Jin packed up the last of his records. "I'm thankful for you too Sayori. I want nothing more than for you to be happy. Heck, not just you but all my friends."

"Thanks for inviting us over, Monika!" Said Yuri as she left through the front door. "I'm glad you enjoyed what I've written of my novel so far!"

"No problem Yuri, it's coming along quite nicely," replied Monika. "Is Natsuki going home with you tonight?"

"No," interjected Natsuki. "I have to go home tonight since my dad will be home. If I'm not he'll be super pissed." Everyone's mood fell a bit at that line. They all had their internal struggles, but none of them had to deal with an abusive parent like Natsuki. Sayori ran up to Natsuki and gave her a hug, which Natsuki returned promptly. "I'll be fine Sayori, I know my friends have my back…"

"We're going to do something about it as soon as we can Natsuki, don't worry," Sayori said. Natsuki grinned

"I'm not worried. I'm tough, I've learned to handle it. Though, I still appreciate the help," she said, trying to keep a tough face, though tears were clearly welling up in her eyes. She fought them back before leaving the house and waving goodbye to the other four. After saying their goodbyes as well, Jin and Sayori returned home.

"Jin…can I spend the night again? I just…want to listen to music for just a little longer," Sayori asked him sheepishly.

"Sure, I was actually thinking the same thing," Jin answered. He took her hand as the two of them walked home to his house.

"Home,

"Home again.

"I like to be here,

"When I can.

"When I come home,

"Cold and tired,

"It's good to warm my bones,

"Beside the fire."

The living room was dimly lit as Sayori and Jin cuddled underneath a warm blanket on the couch, the record player humming the songs of the Pink Floyd greatest hits album that Jin had bought at the record store. They didn't say much, other than a few short words of "I love you" and "You're precious", here and there. Sayori started to feel more and more tired as the night went on, and she dozed off as "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" queued up on the turntable.

The melancholic hums and echoes of the guitar and bass coming from the player was equal parts haunting and soothing to Jin. The sound of the composition was almost entrancing in its tone and mood. He reminisced over the past weeks that had led up to now. The good times, the bad times, it all started to blend together in a bittersweet amalgamation of recollections and memories. He would go through all the emotional hell he had gone through to save Sayori again and again if he had to. He would do anything to support her, no matter the cost.

Jin's phone vibrated on the side table next to him. It was Monika.

"Are you still up?" She asked.

Jin quickly typed, "Yeah. What's up?"

"I woke up about two hours ago and couldn't go back to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about everyone. I know you're the one that stays up late, so I wanted someone to talk to," Monika explained. "I promise I'm not trying to win you away from Sayori or anything, just in case you were worried."

"I wasn't, and I know," Jin reassured her.

"Is Sayori alright? I'm just…really worried about her so much. I want her to be happy," Monika asked.

Jin replied, "She's actually sleeping on my shoulder right now. We were listening to some music and she just dozed off. Also, if you think you're worried, think about how I feel. Not to downplay your feelings or anything, but just try to imagine having someone you love constantly tip-toeing a tightrope where their happy ending is on the other end, and below is total despair, but they don't have a balance pole to help keep themselves aloft. That's what it's like for Sayori. She's sadly incredibly fragile. One minute she's on top of the world and the next she's in the darkest doldrums."

Monika started typing after about a minute. "I can imagine…gosh I feel so bad for her. Does it exhaust you at all?"

"I love Sayori too much for it to be exhausting. There's very few things in life that give me energy or motivation. It's why my hobbies are so pedestrian. You know, anime, video games, and the like. But I love Sayori so much that she is motivation for me in and of herself. I've seen her on the brink of suicide, and I don't want her to fall into those depths ever again if I can help it," Jin explained. Monika didn't reply for several minutes, at which point, the lyrics of "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" kicked in. Their impact was profound on Jin, and tears started to form in the corners of his eyes.

"That's so beautiful Jin…I hope that you two can have a bright future together someday…I wish the best for you two," Monika answered. Jin had put down his phone however. He was holding Sayori tightly in his arms while she slept, crying softly while the music continued to hum. He loved Sayori so much, and wanted nothing more than to protect her from everything that threatened to take her away from him.


	10. Enough is Enough

The weekend had come and gone, and Jin and Sayori were walking to school the next morning like usual. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it seems like they were finally going to get a string of days with good weather, even if it was pretty chilly now.

Suddenly, Jin remembered something that made his stomach harshly jump into his throat. He lowered his head and palmed himself in the face in frustration.

"What's wrong Jin?" Sayori asks.

"I have a test today that I completely forgot to study for," Jin answered. "I guess I'll just have to wing it again."

Sayori's heart sank. "Oh…maybe I shouldn't have stayed over last night then…I really shouldn't have… made you waste your time on-" Jin grabbed Sayori's hands quickly.

"No Sayori, it's not your fault. I was going to spend time with you last night regardless. Honestly, it's my fault for wasting time watching anime late at night last week. You're more important to me than anything, including some test. I'll just have to wing it, I think remember most of what I need to know for the test anyway. Bottom line, you are not worthless, I will never let you forget that," Jin explains, smiling. They pull each other close for a tight hug before heading into school.

The test was oddly easy, much to Jin's relief. He just chalked it up to some weird "learn by osmosis" phenomenon from the past couple of weeks, but he would only know for sure how well he did in the next couple days. When the bell rang, he rushed outside to meet up with Sayori and the other three girls.

Sayori was already chit-chatting outside with Yuri and Monika, until she noticed Jin descend the stairwell at the front of the building. She ran up to give him a hug. Yuri and Monika couldn't help but smile.

"How was the test?" Sayori asked him happily.

"Not hard at all," Jin answered with a smile. "Maybe my brain is spongier than I thought it was, so long as I don't wring it out."

"That sounds like a good line for a poem!" Monika chimed in. "Assuming you still write that is." Jin shook his head and put his hands in his pocket. He had gone back to his old hobbies after the club disbanded. He wasn't sure if Sayori still wrote or not, but considering her new-found interest in guitar, he could only guess she'd put those skills to use by writing music down the road…assuming she stuck with it for more than a week.

"I wonder where Natsuki is. I haven't seen her all day," Yuri said with a tone of concern. She pulled out her phone and sent her a text to ask her where she was. Not even 10 seconds later she got a response back. "Oh my, Natsuki called in to take the day off school today. She's at the coffee shop though."

Everyone shared Yuri's concern at that news. "Let's go pay her a visit then," suggested Sayori. "Hopefully she's alright. The others nodded in agreement and walked off toward the coffee shop.

A few minutes later the girls arrive at the coffee shop to find Natsuki sitting alone in the corner with her face toward the wall, and a frothy mocha on the table in front of her. "Natsuki!" Sayori called out. Natsuki only curled herself up tighter in her booth seat, refusing to look at her friends. The other four walked up to the booth to take a seat, and Sayori addressed her again.

"Natsuki, is something wrong?" She asked. Natsuki looked up at Sayori with a nasty black bruise around her eye and tears streaming down her otherwise smooth face. The four of them were shocked.

"I learned to cry again Sayori," Natsuki said. It was apparent to all of them that Natsuki's father had beaten her again the night before. "Everything hurts…not just my body but my soul. My dad's never been so aggressive as he was last night…I thought he wasn't capable of punching harder than he had in the past but clearly I hadn't seen anything," Natsuki explained. "His words hurt too…calling me good for nothing…telling me that I'll never grow up…never get married…never amount to anything…how could someone who brought me into this world, gave me life, how could someone like that be so cruel? What did I do to deserve this?!" Natsuki stood up and put her arms around Sayori and hugged her tightly. Sayori hugged her back as she began to cry as well. "I want my mom back! I want things back to how they were a year ago! Everything was better back then!"

Sayori tried her best to comfort Natsuki, but she had never heard this about Natsuki. "Your…mom…is it okay if I ask what happened to her?" she said through her tears.

Natsuki pulled back, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. "My mom…she died last year of brain cancer…it was horrible…just slowly watching her lose all her strength and eventually her consciousness…and ever since then my dad and I haven't been the same. I've been jaded and rude, trying to hide my pain in baking, but my dad took to heavy drinking and venting his anger on me…I can't get him to go to therapy because whenever I talk to him he gets angry, and he's threatened to kill me if I call the cops…I just don't understand…it's not my fault mom died, so why does he take it out on me?! I'm just as sad as he is!" Natsuki fell back into Sayori's arms. Sayori couldn't hold it back anymore, and began to sob with Natsuki.

The other four did what they could to comfort Natsuki. When she had calmed herself down, Sayori looked Natsuki in the eyes and said, "We're going to help you do something about this. We're going to tell the police about what's been going on, and we're going to get your dad out of your life at least for a while. There's no way you can handle this treatment any longer." Natsuki wiped her uninjured eye and nodded in agreement. After some more consoling, they left the coffee shop and headed to the police station. After about an hour speaking with the officer, the police assured Natsuki that they would do what they had to get her out of her dad's abusive home.

"I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like to be in Natsuki's shoes…" said Sayori. She and Jin had decided to go out for dinner that night. "I feel so bad for her."

"I do to, but we did what we could. The police will do what we couldn't," Jin reassured her.

"You know Jin, this takes me back to a couple months ago when you saved me from hanging myself…it feels like ever since then the two of us have not only been helping each other, but we've been helping Monika, Yuri, and Natsuki too. I never would have guessed at first glance that they would have any problems in their lives like mine…" Sayori chuckled. "Especially Monika. She seemed like she had everything all figured out. If it wasn't for you, I can't imagine how things would have turned out for the other three…"

"Yeah, but that just goes to show you there's more to a person than what's on the outside. I mean, just look at you. I've known you all my life and I had no idea what you were going through…I wish I had found out sooner…" Jin answered. Sayori smiled back.

"The important thing is that all five of us are still here, and still friends…and I gotta say, I think it's all thanks to you Jin. I love you so much. You're my hero," said Sayori. The hair on the back of Jin's neck stood on end. Being told that he was a hero was something he never thought he'd hear in his whole life.

"Th-thanks…" he feebly replied.

The two of them stayed at the restaurant long past finishing their meals until closing time. The walk home in the brisk winter air had started to set in each night as the weeks dragged on, and Jin realized that it had been a very long time since Sayori had dragged him to the literature club.

He thought to himself, "Time sure does fly on by doesn't it…"


	11. New Resolve

A few months passed since then. Natsuki's dad had been taken into custody after a lengthy investigation that took entirely too long, leaving Natsuki in temporary foster care until she was able to find a more permanent home. It was the dead of winter. Christmas had passed, the new year had rung in, and spirits were high while the temperature was low.

It was the end of a regular school day for Jin. He packed up his things and headed down the halls toward the front of the building, when he heard someone playing the piano in the music room as he walked passed. He glanced inside to see Monika hard at work on an intricate and beautiful piano piece. The last time he heard Monika play, the quality of her playing wasn't near as good as what he was hearing now. He walked inside and sat down next to the piano. Monika didn't notice until she had finished playing.

"Oh! Jin! I didn't see you there…sorry, I was just so enveloped in my playing. Musicians tend to do that…" Monika said nervously. "What did you think?"

"I thought it was fantastic. It's been a long time since I've heard you play, and you've improved a lot," he answered. Monika beamed, flattered by Jin's compliments.

"Thanks! I've been practicing extra hard lately…I recently was asked to perform at the concert hall in the city with some other students here at school and I've been working my absolute hardest to make this piece perfect," Monika explained. "It's actually a duet. I talked with Sayori a while back, and we decided to work on this piece together."

"Oh really! She's playing guitar while you play piano?" Jin said, excited about the prospect of seeing Sayori perform on stage.

"Yeah! It's coming along great, but I guess Sayori hasn't told you about it yet?" Monika asked.

"I guess not. Maybe she wanted it to be a surprise or something…I guess I'll just have to keep my mouth shut about it," Jin answered with a chuckle. Monika laughed back.

"You know, it's honestly a little impressive that someone with a condition like hers is so eager to perform in front of people. I would have expected someone like her to have major stage fright, but I suppose that's not the case," said Monika, getting up from the piano bench and packing up her things. Jin nodded in agreement. "You're really lucky to have her."

"I know. I guess Sayori is able to perform like that because she just wants to make people happy in any way she can, and performing, whether it be poems or music, is one way of doing that," Jin mused aloud. "I have heard her slowly improve at guitar over the past months, and she's honestly a natural. She gets very into it just like you do playing the piano, almost as if she's in another world. It's a state of entrancement I don't think I've ever seen her in before. And the way the music sounds when she plays is just delightful. I honestly could listen to her pluck away at those strings for hours."

Monika replied, "Yeah, she's really invested in it. It's nice to see her getting to know and love a hobby like that. Probably takes her mind off her depression."

Monika and Jin finished cleaning up the clutter around the music room before walking out together. The other three had already gone home for the day, so it was just the two of them. Monika turned to Jin before they parted ways to say something.

"Oh! I should give you these! They're tickets for the recital. It's at the end of the semester, kind of as a farewell show for the 3rd year students before we all go off to college, but you need a ticket to get in, as the only students that get in free are those performing." Jin took the three tickets and stuffed them in his pocket.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to get them to Yuri and Natsuki as soon as I can," he said. Monika smiled and gave Jin a hug before running down the street in the opposite direction.

"See you tomorrow!" she yelled back while waving. Jin waved back before walking back home in the brisk winter air.

The evening moseyed on as Jin sat at home playing a video game until Sayori texted him.

"Wanna come over? I wanna show you something," she asked. Jin left his computer, threw on his shoes and coat and walked over to Sayori's house. Letting himself inside, he walked up to Sayori's room. He could hear her playing her guitar outside. Opening the door, he could see Sayori sitting on her bed, deep in her music. He took a seat in front of her as she played.

The tones of each finger movement washed over Jin's ears, setting him at ease. He began to sway with the beat of his girlfriend's playing. He felt a smile creep up on his cheeks, and a wave of goosebumps ran up his arms. Each motion of Sayori's seemed to perfectly compliment her playing. She was a natural.

When she had finished her piece, she opened her eyes and turned to Jin. "What do you think?" she asked.

"It was beautiful. You really are amazing at this," Jin complimented. Sayori blushed and smiled while wiping a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"I'm glad you liked it. It's actually a duet part that I'm doing with Monika," she explained.

"I know. Monika already gave me tickets to the recital for me and the others. I can't wait to hear the whole thing in person," Jin said.

"Aw, you'll love it. Monika wrote the arrangement herself. There's even lyrics! She says it was originally going to be for that person on…the other side, but now it's sort of become just a love song she wants to share with an audience. It's really pretty," Sayori exposited. She set down her guitar against the foot of the bed and patted the space next to her, indicating she wanted Jin to sit next to her. He got up and plopped down next to her.

"Well, I'm sure half of the reason it'll be so pretty is because you're in it," Jin said. Sayori blushed and lightly punched him on the arm.

"Oh, stop it you…" she giggled.

"No, because it's true," Jin retorted, ruffling the hair on her head. Sayori pushed him back on the bed and they played fight for a bit, giggling and smiling to each other.

After they had stopped, Sayori sat down against the wall. "Jin, this month has been the best of my life. I'm making more headway against the rainclouds than ever before. They still crop up, and I still have days where I'm sad or even bawl my eyes out for hours, but knowing I have my friends…and knowing that I have you makes everything worth pushing through." Sayori grabbed her stuffed bird and began to hug it while talking to Jin. "Remember when I said I was selfish for wanting your affection? It was a long time ago, so it might be hard to remember, but I recently realized something I should have all along. I wasn't selfish for wanting to be loved…everyone wants to be loved, it's only natural, in fact, we need it. And you gave that to me. What really would have been selfish is if I had gone through with hanging myself…stealing myself away from you and the others…I can't bear that thought now but at the time all I could think of was escaping that pain, even if it meant suicide…not even thinking about what it would have done to you or Yuri or Natsuki or Monika…I'm so glad you did what you did. You helped me, and continue to help me endure it, and that's why I love you so much Jin…"

"I love you too Sayori. I'm glad that I was able to be there for you when I was…" Jin drew Sayori in for a tight embrace. "I want us to be together forever…"

"Me too…" Sayori answered. She put her hands on Jin's cheeks and drew him in for a passionate kiss. Even after the many times they had kissed each other, it still managed to make Jin's heart skip. He returned the favor before they separated once again.

"So! Wanna play some video games or something?" Sayori asked, her mood changing abruptly.

"But I thought video games weren't really your thing anymore?" Jin replied. Sayori grinned and walked over to her laptop sitting on her desk.

"Well, I've been using some free time to play a few games here and there. It kinda reminds me of when we used to play as kids." She picked up a pair of controllers from her desk and handed one to Jin. The two of them spent the rest of the evening playing with and against each other, having a blast. They ordered pizza, and spent the night cuddled up in a blanket munching on goodies, slaying dragons, and singing songs together. It was just like when they were kids, and it made Jin happier than ever.


	12. You are My Sunshine

Springtime had just begun, and the sun was spending more time out from behind the clouds. The temperature was rising, and everyone was looking forward to the end of the year. Natsuki made arrangements with Yuri to move in with her after leaving foster care, and today was the day that she was going to move. Sayori headed over to the foster home with her guitar in the morning to help her move. When she arrived, and knocked on the door, A tall woman answered.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm here to help Natsuki move," she replied.

"Ah, you must be Sayori," the woman noted. "Natsuki! Let's go! Sayori is here." Natuski bolted down the stairs carrying her belongings, laid them on the floor and flung herself at Sayori, giving her a big hug.

"Woah Natsuki, you almost knocked me over!" Sayori exclaimed. "Let's get a move on," she added, picking up a bag of clothes and a box of manga and loading it into the foster mother's car. Natsuki loaded in her boxes of kitchen supplies and electronics, then they left the home to drive to Yuri's house.

Once they arrived, they unloaded everything out of the car. Natsuki gave her foster mother a goodbye hug.

"Thanks for everything…I'll come visit if you'd like, and I can make cupcakes for the other kids," she said.

"That would be wonderful. I hope you enjoy your new home," the woman replied. After saying their goodbyes, she drove down the street back towards the foster home.

"Well, hopefully Yuri's home…I actually forgot to ask her earlier, heheh…" Sayori said sheepishly.

Natsuki sighed, "Jeez Sayori, you gotta remember these things." She rang the bell on Yuri's front door, and within a few seconds Yuri answered. What the two of them saw shocked them.

"Yuri…your arms…" Sayori said with a smile and tears filling her eyes. Yuri was wearing a lavender short sleeved t-shirt revealing her forearms. They were covered in scars, closed ones, faintly discolored from the rest of her skin. Not a single red mark was on her, no blood, no wounds, just healed, though scarred, forearms.

"I'm glad you noticed…if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be like this today. If it wasn't for that day at the library and suggesting I see a therapist to help me with my problems, these arms would still be wounded and damaged…but now, I haven't cut myself in 6 months. I feel more at peace with myself than ever before," Yuri explained. Sayori and Natsuki couldn't hold back their tears of joy. They drew in Yuri for a tight group hug, crying and laughing for about a minute before Yuri welcomed them inside.

"Alright, that's the last of it," Natsuki said, dusting the palms of her hands together. "Hey Sayori, you brought your guitar, right? How about I bake some cookies while you play some music for us?" she suggested.

"That's a great idea! I've got all sorts of stuff I can play for you two," Sayori said, her face beaming with happiness. She ran over to her guitar case and pulled it out before sitting on the sofa in the living room, tuning the strings.

Natsuki took out her baking supplies, then pulled out some ingredients for making cookies while Yuri began to brew a pot of tea. Amidst the two of them preparing their wares, Sayori began playing some Pink Floyd tunes to set the mood. The Natsuki and Yuri found themselves humming and singing along to Sayori's immaculate playing.

"Say, Yuri," Natsuki spoke up. "Did you ever get around to reading Full Metal Alchemist?"

"Oh, I didn't just read it, I went out and bought Brotherhood as well. It was so unbelievably good. I never thought a simple comic book could be so compelling. The whole equivalent exchange theme just captivated me," Yuri exposited. "The amount of levity was nice too to balance out the darker bits of the story."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it!" Natsuki replied.

"Now maybe you should read it to," Yuri retorted, bumping her elbow into Natsuki's ribs. Natsuki gave her a pouty stare before returning to her baking.

Once the cookies came out of the oven, Natsuki laid them on a tray next to three cups of tea that Yuri had prepared, and placed them on the coffee table in the center of the living room. Sayori wasted no time grabbing a cookie and chomping down. It was Natsuki's signature baking, full of sweetness and gooey chocolate chunks, yet something about these was even better. Maybe it was just the fact that she was spending time with her best friends, shooting the breeze, playing music, and having a good time. She felt happy. She didn't even think about being sad, it didn't even cross her mind.

"These are sooooooo good Natsuki! They're probably the best you've ever made!" She said, grabbing another and chomping down.

"Don't eat too fast or you might get a bellyache!" Natsuki scolded playfully. Sayori laughed as she took another bite. She couldn't contain her joy, continuing to laugh and smile at everything Natsuki and Yuri said.

"Seeing you laugh and smile like this is wonderful Sayori. I don't know if I've ever seen you so giddy in the entire time I've known you," mentioned Yuri.

Sayori put down her cup of tea after taking a sip and looked at Yuri with a smile from ear. "I'm overjoyed, Yuri. I just can't contain it…this is the happiest I've been in my entire life. Seeing the two of you at peace with one another, your self-harm wounds are healed, Natsuki not having to live in fear of her dad anymore…it just fills me with genuine glee to see the two of you like this…everything that's transpired this year…it's been amazing seeing all of us come together to help each other…and honestly…I owe it all to Jin for saving me. If it wasn't for him doing that, I feel things would have been different…but I don't want to think about that anymore, I'm so happy. Truly happy, more than ever before." Tears streamed down her smiling face, as did Yuri's and Natsuki's

The three spent the entire day shooting the breeze, playing music, reminiscing about fond memories, and telling stories. Around 5 pm, Sayori packed up her guitar, said goodbye, and walked home on her own. The sun was still shining, and not a single cloud was there to hide its radiance. Song birds sang their melodies with each other, and leaves rustled calmly in the trees as Sayori walked to the street corner to take the bus home.

Taking a seat on the bus, she pulled out her phone, thumbing through pictures she had taken over the past months. It was like looking into a time travelling mirror, seeing herself with her friends, having a good time, and they with her filled her heart with so much warmth and joy. It melted the thorns and dissolved the rainclouds in her head. She even saw how she herself had changed in the pictures. She had started to clean her hair up more each morning, and had noticed how much she had let it grow out to more freely blow behind her in the wind. Each passing picture displayed not only a more happy and radiant look on her face, but on the faces of her friends too. But most of all, she noticed how her beloved Jin had changed. Jin had become more outgoing and upbeat, slowly taking up more and more hobbies outside his house. He smiled more, his eyes were wider and more energetic, and he laughed more. Sayori found her eyes watering again when she realized that not only had Jin made a difference in her life, but him in hers. She smiled and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

The bus stopped on the street corner at the end of her and Jin's street. The sun was still in the sky, and its warmth made her feel warm and alive. She took out her phone and called Jin.

"What's up?" he answered.

"I'm so happy Jin! Yuri's wounds are healed! Natsuki is finally in a safe place she can call home! They're happy to be in each other's company, everything is exactly as it should be! I couldn't be any happier Jin…this school year has been the best of my life…and I have you to thank for it…I've seen myself soldier through the rainclouds…Monika is finally combatting her loneliness, and Yuri and Natsuki have conquered their problems. But most of all, I have you...the love of my life, after all these years. I'm so thankful Jin…" Sayori paused. She felt the tears streaming down her face as she smiled. She had never felt this happy in all her life.

"I'm thankful too Sayori…all that is wonderful…I can't imagine a world without you in it. I hope this happiness lasts forever," he replied.

Sayori looked up at the blue sky and outstretched her free had as if to receive with gratitude the light that the sun shone upon her. "The rainclouds are gone Jin! They're finally gone! I've won at last! The sun is shining and I have nothing to fear! My life IS worth living! All these wonderful things made fighting through the pain all worth it! I've never been this happy before, Jin! I love you so much!"


	13. Found their Peace

It was the last week of the school year, and finals were in full swing. Jin and Sayori had been busting their rears helping each other study to get the best marks they could. They were planning to go away on a two-week vacation together after graduation before ultimately moving to the city for college. It was a somewhat stressful time for them. The school day concluded and Jin met with Sayori in the hallway on the way out.

"Phew, that one was a slobber-knocker," Jin groaned. "At least we're halfway done with this week…

"Slobber-knocker?" Sayori giggled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just picked the goofiest word I could think of to describe that test. At least it's over." Jin took Sayori's hand as they walked toward the school entrance, when suddenly, they noticed Monika down a perpendicular hall talking closely to a tall boy.

"Ooh! Does Monika have a boyfriend now?!" Sayori said to Jin excitedly.

"I wouldn't just jump to conclusions like that…" Jin lightly scolded. As he said that, Monika and the boy quickly kissed each other before saying goodbye and walking in separate directions.

"Told you," Sayori said with a smirk. Jin shrugged as Monika walked towards them humming happily to herself.

"Oh, hey you two! Finals treating you alright?" Monika asked.

"I think I'm gonna die," Jin said with a weary expression, while Sayori still had a massive grin on her face.

"I can do it! It's like hunting a monster, but I've got the tools for the job!" Sayori said, beaming with optimism. Monika chuckled.

"Well I'm glad you're taking it well. You ready for the recital on Saturday? I know I am." Monika inquired. Sayori nodded.

"Yeah. It's gonna be awesome, I can't wait." She replied, then paused shortly. "Monika, I have to ask, was that boy you were with your…boyfriend?"

Monika's eyes lit up and her face turned beet red. The edges of her mouth curled up into a sweet smile. "Oh yes! That's my boyfriend! We've been going out together for a few weeks now…he's the greatest, and it feels so great to be dating someone who actually loves me back as much as I love him, and I don't have to force myself to make it work…I love him so much." Sayori smiled back too, then flung her arms around Monika for a hug.

"I'm, so happy for you Monika! I knew everything was going to be alright!" She said. Seeing Sayori's face up close, she could tell something was different about Sayori. There was so much genuine warmth and optimism radiating from her, as if she had conquered her rainclouds.

"Sayori…call me a mind reader, but I feel like you've never been happier in all your life. This joy I'm feeling from you feels so genuine…" Sayori nodded with a grin.

"It is, Monika! I don't have to fear anymore. Everything that's been going on for the past couple of weeks has just left me so grateful and happy that I've continued to live on…Yuri's recovered from her cutting addiction, Natsuki finally has a place she can call home, you finally found someone to cure your lonliness, Jin is getting out of his shell more, and all of this has helped me realize that I'm not worthless…that this life is worth living…" She pulled Monika and Jin together for a group hug. "I'm so thankful to have you guys in my life…"

"We're thankful too Sayori," Jin answered. "You just light up our worlds every day, and we don't know what we'd do without you." Sayori's heart swelled with warmth and happiness. The voices in her head left her for good, and the fog of confusion and pain had cleared away. All that was left was the bright white sunshine she had yearned after for so long.

The three released each other, and Monika suggested, "Say, if you two aren't busy, would you like to hang out at the coffee shop for a bit? My treat." They agreed and followed Monika to the coffee shop.

After getting their beverages, the three sat on the patio outside the coffee shop. It was the warmest weather that the town had gotten so far that year, fitting for the start of spring.

"I'm so glad everything turned out so well for Natsuki and Yuri. It's nice to know Natsuki is safe and that Yuri isn't harming herself anymore," Monika said.

Sayori answered, "You have no idea how happy I was that day. I felt lighter than ever, like the weight of the world had just been lifted off my shoulders. It was as if I could have leaped into the sky and flew for miles. The radiance of the sun that day made me feel like there was nothing to fear at all. I haven't felt down in the dumps since. I've been motivated to give my best to my responsibilities more than ever, I've been eating well and getting up on time, everything is going as I want it to…it's even a little surreal to me, seeing myself this happy…but I'm never going back. I love this so much." Jin hugged her from his adjacent chair, and she hugged him back. Monika giggled happily.

"You two are so adorable. I'm happy that the two of you fought off your demons like that…you've helped all of us grow and overcome our weaknesses, and we all thank you for that," Monika expressed.

"I think Jin is the one to thank most of all. If it wasn't for him, I'd be six feet under right now, and there's no telling where the rest of you would be. I'm so glad to have such a positive influence in my life like Jin," Sayori said. Jin's face turned red, and he smiled nervously.

"It wasn't all my doing, I was just in the right place at the right time, but you did your part in helping all of us as well," Jin replied.

Monika spoke up, "But Jin, you definitely had a huge part in it. If it wasn't for your intervention in my life, the number of horrible things that would have happened because of me would have been immeasurable…you're a hero Jin, never forget that."

Jin felt his eyes watering up. He'd never felt this much gratitude and affection toward him before. Most of the time he was just up in his room, all alone, where no one could reach him, but to hear such strong words of appreciation, it made him feel wanted.

"I guess…" Jin began. "one reason I felt such a need to reach out to Sayori the way I did was because I…I identified with her on more than just the grounds of her being my friend. When she told me that she felt worthless, I didn't hesitate to rush to her defense to show her how much she meant to me…to be honest, I've felt that same sense for a large portion of my life, but rather than it manifesting itself as depression, it made me jaded and apathetic. To have someone in my life who loves me and makes me realize that I'm not worthless, just like how I make her feel the same way…I guess it's made my own rainclouds clear away as well…"

Sayori smiled widely and gave Jin another big hug as happy tears streamed down his face. Monika couldn't help but smile herself, so happy to see that everything had turned out so well for the two she had tried so hard to separate. Never again would she try to part them, because Jin and Sayori were made for each other.

After an hour of chit chat amongst the three of them, they parted ways to return home and study. Jin flung his backpack on his bed, pulled out his books and opened his notes. He stayed up late into the night making sure he was fully prepared for the next day of tests. When he finally closed the books for the night, he got a text from Sayori as his head hit the pillow.

"I know I say it a lot, but thank you for everything. Thank you for saving my life, thank you for putting in me the motivation to get up each morning, thank you for the warm and fuzzy feelings I get when I'm around you, thank you for the encouragement I need to face the day, thank you for helping me help my friends, and thank you for loving me."

Jin smiled as he read the message, but before he could even finish, Sayori sent him another.

"I want you to know that you are worth more than the entire world to me. Nothing could replace you Jin, just as you've said the same to me so many times before. If I was the queen of an entire kingdom, and I had to give it all up to be with you, I would do it. You are worth more to me than you could possibly imagine."

"Thank you Jin, for being my umbrella, and making everything okay."


	14. Hold me Forever

"…If I don't know how to love you…I'll leave you be."

The crowd erupted in applause following Monika's piece. She and Sayori stood up, faced the audience, and bowed gracefully before taking their leave, and sitting next to their friends.

"That was fantastic Sayori! You nailed every note perfectly!" Jin said in an encouraging tone.

"I don't know about perfect," Sayori said with a chuckle. "It's hard to notice mistakes when you're in the audience, but I could point out at least three to you later. Monika however did it perfectly."

"Pssh, I betcha I made five," Monika retorted with a playful smile.

"Regardless, you both did fantastic," said Yuri. As the next students took the stage, the group quieted down to listen to their piece. Student after student, performer after performer, the hard work and dedication of the young musicians amazed the crowd. Each piece radiated its own display of talent and vibrato. It was a great night, especially for Jin and Sayori.

At the after party, the students all partook in dancing and refreshments, though Jin and Sayori did the same thing they did at the festival. They found a quieter place to sit and just talked amongst themselves. Sayori was dressed stunningly, her now long peach colored hair cascading smoothly down her bare shoulders, her petite figure adorned with a sparkling red gown, and a pair of glass bead bracelets on each wrist. And yet, despite all her fanciful attire, she still wore her signature red bow in her hair. Jin almost couldn't bear to look at her for more than a few seconds at a time, lest he break down and cry, overwhelmed by how beautiful she was. He felt as if he didn't even deserve such a treasure, when compared to his more understated suit and tie.

"Come on you guys! Why don't you stop being love birds and have some fun?" Natsuki barked. Jin looked nervously at her, then back at the floor. He had learned how to dance not too long ago with Sayori in preparation for the recital after party, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to do it.

"I dunno…I'm afraid I'll look dumb to be honest," Jin admitted.

"No one cares about that, Jin! We're all just having a good time! Look at Yuri!" Natsuki pointed to where Yuri was on the dance floor, trying her best to dance with a boy she had been hanging out with at school recently, though looking admittedly a bit flounderish while doing so. "She's got two left feet when it comes to dancing, and look at how happy she is! She doesn't care at all, and neither should you!"

"Yeah, come on Jin! It'll be fun!" Sayori said, standing up. She grabbed on to Jin's hand and pulled him up as well, dragging him out onto the dance floor. She turned around and took both of Jin's hands in hers. "Okay, remember how we practiced? Try not to step on my toes like last time, okay?"

"Eh…right…" Jin felt the sweat drip down his brow like bullets. He assumed a dancing posture with Sayori and began to move in step to the music with her. He didn't really know where to look as his nervous eyes darted from his feet to other students to, awkwardly, Sayori's chest. He couldn't bring himself to look directly at Sayori considering how nervous he was.

"Hey dummy, you can look at me you know," said Sayori sarcastically. Jin quickly darted his gaze to Sayori's eyes. Her expression was a mixture of amusement and frustration. "You know, I never thought that of the two of us, YOU would be the one nervous at a dance."

"I've…never been to one…I didn't know what to expect…" Jin said feebly. Sayori giggled back at him.

"Neither have I, but that's okay. Just look at me, don't think about anyone else, don't think about what they think of you…" Sayori said reassuringly. Jin did just that, fixing his gaze on Sayori, staring deep into her clear blue eyes. The rest of the dance hall seemed to fall away. Soon he felt relaxed, and his movements began to harmonize with Sayori's. The two of them danced like two birds through the air, and soon enough, they found each other performing with each other the dance they had practiced beforehand. Gliding like kites through the sky, flowing into each other's movements, a circle of students began to circle around them to admire their dance. When the song had finished, Jin noticed everyone standing around him and Sayori, and his face instantly turned beet red.

"Woo! Go Jin! Go Sayori! You two are awesome!" Called out Monika from behind a few rows of students, waving her hand to get their attention. Sayori waved back and dragged Jin into the crowd to meet up with Monika and her boyfriend. The rest of the evening went smoothly for them. Jin felt like the luckiest man alive, privileged to be the one to dance with the most priceless and precious girl in the world to him. When they boarded the bus back home, Sayori fell asleep on his shoulder. Feeling her hand, he noticed that she was cold and forgot to bring a jacket. He took off his own jacket and laid it over her shoulders. He wished that moment could last forever.

A week had passed, and Jin and Sayori had used that time to gather preparations for their before-college road trip. The day had arrived, and they had just finished packing their suitcases.

Sayori arrived at Jin's place with her belongings precariously stacked in her arms. She awkwardly reached for the doorbell and rang it. Jin answered quickly.

"Hey, what's up…oh my, that's a lot of stuff," He said.

"A little help please!" Sayori asked sheepishly. Jin took some of the crates off the top of the stack and helped Sayori bring in her suitcases. "Careful with those ones on top, those are Natsuki's prize winning cupcakes!"

"Oh, that's right, she won blue ribbon at a town bake-off this week, didn't she? I wish I could have been there." Jin remembered. He went to grab one for a taste, but Sayori franticly swatted his hand out of the way.

"Hey, hey! Those are for the road trip!" Sayori scolded.

"But I just want a taste, jeez," Jin said, exasperated. The two of them packed up their belongings and walked out to his car. Much to his surprise, Monika, Yuri, and Natsuki were waiting outside to say goodbye.

"Jin! Sayori!" Monika called out. Sayori ran as fast as she could to Monika with her luggage and threw her arms around her in a tight embrace. "We wanted to say goodbye since you two are going off to college. It's gonna be really hard not seeing you every day…"

"I know Monika…we're gonna miss you too," Sayori replied. "But don't worry, we'll stay in touch, and we'll visit you all from time to time, wherever your paths take you." She smiled sweetly at the three of them and at Jin, and they all shared in her happiness and infectious joy.

Then Yuri spoke up, "Sayori, I wanted to give you a copy of my book that I'm sending to the publishing company. I hope you and Jin enjoy it." She handed her a book in a green paperback cover that she had bound at an office store a few days before. The title read "Jade, and the Whispers of the Hollow".

"This looks great! I'll be sure to read it every night with Jin," Sayori said excitedly, turning back to him. Jin smiled and nodded in approval.

As they all exchanged their goodbye hugs and words after loading their luggage into the car, Jin and Sayori waved goodbye to their friends as they drove down the road. Natsuki ran down the sidewalk after them, trying to tell them a few last parting words.

"Bye Sayori! Bye Jin! Thanks for everything you've done! I love you both! Don't eat all those cupcakes too quickly!" She shouted, tears filling her eyes.

Sayori leaned out the window and waved back to Natsuki, "We love you too Natsuki! I'll write you and the others some postcards! I promise!" She rolled down the window and Jin sped up as he made a turn towards the highway. Monika and Yuri caught up to Natsuki to see tears streaming down her smiling face.

"I'm so happy for them Yuri…" Natsuki said, choking on her words.

"Me too Natsuki…me too…" Yuri answered.

"We all are. The things they've done to help us are immeasurable…I miss them already, but we'll see them again, I just know it," Monika said, pulling Natsuki and Yuri in for a hug.

The day rolled on by, and so did Jin's car. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was a brilliant gradient of blue and orange. The sounds of Pink Floyd hummed from the radio, and Sayori sung along absent mindedly the whole time.

They were in the middle of nowhere, driving towards their destination by the ocean. It would be nightfall before they got there…or earlier, if Jin had noticed sooner that his gas tank was almost empty.

"Crap, we gotta stop for gas," he told Sayori. She glanced over at him and nodded in acknowledgement. Pulling off of an exit ramp, Jin turned into a gas station in a ramshackle area off the side of the highway. He pumped the gas into his car, and while doing so, Sayori got out to grab a snack from the quick-e-mart. Once she returned with a bag of chips, she walked up next to Jin and asked him something.

"Jin, the sun is going to set soon, do you think we could find a place to stop and watch it?" she asked.

"Sure, I don't see why not." The gas nozzle made a loud thumping noise, and Jin pulled it out to place it back on the pump. They both climbed into the car and drove around to find a good place to park and watch the sunset. He found a spot on top of a hill that was away from the other buildings in town, and parked his car at the top, facing the sunset.

"This looks like a great spot," Jin said, turning the key and exiting the car. He and Sayori sat on the hood of the car, watching the sun set below the horizon together. All the pain and suffering they had been through together seemed to melt away in that moment. Jin wrapped his arm around his beloved and pulled her in tightly. She laid her head on his shoulder in response. She turned to him and whispered in his ear.

"I love you."

"I do too."

"I want to be with you forever…"

"So do I…you're so precious to me…"

"Hold me…forever…"

"I'll never let you go."

The two of them looked into each other's eyes before slowly pressing their lips together. In that moment, they had become comfortably numb.

Jin and Sayori; they were meant to be, forever and ever.

The End

~ OK ~

Author's Notes: Thanks for sticking through to the end! I hope the payoff was worth it. As I stated at the beginning of this story, the reason I wrote this was because of an intense desire to see the characters have a happy ending. I wanted to see their issues resolved, including those of the MC. Sayori in particular was the character that I wished to see happy in the end the most, because, I'm not going to lie, I love her a lot. I wanted to see her happy with the MC, and making all the people around her happy as well was in my eyes a mandatory prerequisite for that to happen. I think I managed to pull it off well, but I won't beg for praise or anything. As indicated by the title and their repeated references throughout the story, the classic rock band Pink Floyd was a major thematic device I wanted to use for this. I feel that Pink Floyd's often moody songs and lyrics were a perfect fit for this kind of story, and personally I could see Sayori as a listener of their music. I hope everyone out there who read this has a fantastic day, and I hope you enjoyed my story!


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